w 



r t. 




jvi^ 



iJ/JL ouXc^ iX/wct IMa^n^cucAJtAj W 








M'iSki^',,: 




Class ___EA4A_ 



Book JiLlliL 



<ri> 



\i ;u''^'^'^>t' t -^ ' 1 ^^^-^-'^ 






S2D Congress, \ .SENATE. f 

is/ Sr-ssio)!. i \ 



.SEN.\TE. / Mis. Uoc. 

No. 228. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



LIFE AND CH.ARACTER 



Preston B. Plumb, 



(A SENATOR FROM KANSAS). 



DELIVERED IN THE 



SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESEXT.\TIVES. 



February 20 and March ig, 1892. 



5^^/X^-. flox^/ic.v<;, 



Prepared in accordance with joint resolution of Congress, and under direction 
of the Joint Committee on Printing, 



W. H. MICHAEL, 

CLERK 01" FRINTINC, RECORDS, UNHF.D STATES SENATE. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
I S9 2. 



AUG e 1908 



THE DEATH OF SENATOR PLUMB. 



SERVICES IX THE SENATE CHAMBER. 

December 21, the United States Senate, the House of Repre- 
sentatives, the Executive and Judiciary Departments of tlie 
Government, representatives of foreign powers, and thousands 
from among the Washington public ]iaid the last tribute of 
affection and resjject to the mem(ay of the dead Senator. 

The body was i)laced in a handsome i'h)th-covered casket of 
cedar, on the lid of which was a plain silver plate bearing the 
following iuscriptiou: "Preston B. Plumb, born October 12, 
1837; died December I'O, ISOl." 

At 10 o'clocli the casket was borne from the house to tlie 
hearse by eight of the Cai>itol police, under direction of Assist- 
ant Sergeantat-Arms Merritt. 

Immediately tlie small funeral cortege, consisting of the 
hearse, drawn by two coal-black horses caparisoned with 
heavy robes of black netting, and a few carriages containing 
immediate fiiends, started towards the Capitol. There were 
no floral decorations at the house, and, save a small wreath of 
white immortelles on the top of the casket, sent by the chief 
clerk of the Treasury Dejiartmeut, there was nothing to relieve 
the somber blackness of the casket. 

The small procession moved slowly down Fourteenth street 
to Pennsylvania avenue and wended its way up through the 
Capitol grounds to the Capitol. At the entrance to the build 
iug the remains were met by Sergeaut-at-Arms Valentine, who 

3 



4 Uft- auH Characlir of Ptistou li. Plumb. 

esoortfil tlii-iM ti> the marlilc nuini in the rear of tlie Sonat<' 
c-liaiii)>fr ami only a slmrt disiaiM't' IVoiii the \'ici'Presidt'iit's 
chair. Tlicri' tlicy wen- phiccd <iii a hhick catalahjiU' in tlio 
ceuti'i of the luiiiii. 

Soon alter tlic casket was depositpd in the marhh' room a 
lai-;^e number of persons gathered armind the doors at the 
entrance anxious to take a last look at the features of the 
de|>arted. 

When the Senate met at noon the cliamher was partly ar- 
ranged for the ol)se(|uies. The desk and chair of the deceased 
Senator were heavily drajx'ii. The galleries were crowded 
with spectators, except the diplomatic and the Vice-Presideut's 
galleries, which were reserved. 

In the opening ]>rayer Ivev. J. (1. Butler, tlie idiaplain, re- 
ferred in a feeling manner to the death of Senator I'Lt'MU. 
"Sanctitied.'" he sai<l, "be this last bereavement. Teach us 
heavenly wisdom; hear us when we commend to Thee, very 
tendirly. Th.\ handmaiden in her solitude and sadness ami 
overwhelming sorrow in her distant home. We pray that 
Thou wilt sustain and comfort her in Thy peace." 

On motion of Mr. ."Mandersou the reading of the .lournal was 
disiiensed with, and Mr. I'elfei- rose to make the formal an 
nouncement <)f Mr. Plvmb'.'^ death and to otfer projier reso- 
lutions. Me said: 

".Mr. Pkk.siuext : I esteem mvMll peculiarly unfortunate in 
that, liefnre I iia\e been a member of this body long enough 
to have become familiar with even the dimensions of the cham- 
ber in whicii we sit. I am called upon to announce the death 
of my distinguished colleague, u])on whose wcuulerful resources 
I had expecled largely to rely. 

■ ri!i:sTON P.. Pm'.mh, a Senator from Kansa.s, died in this 
city yesterday at ten nnnutes before 1- o'clock. This is nr>t 
the tune nor tlie occasion to speak at length of the life and the 



^ X <FK-\TF f Mis. Uoc. 

52D Congress, -1 bENAlL. | No. 228. 

I St Session. \ ^ 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

(IN THK 

LIFE AND CH.ARACTER 

OF 

Preston B. Plumb. 

(A SENATOR FROM KANSAS). 
DELIVERED IN THE 

SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESEMWTIYES, 

FeBRU.^RY 20 .-^ND M.\RCH 19, 1892. 

Prepared m accordance with joint resolution of Congress, and under direction 
of the Joint Committee on Printing, 

\N . H. MICHAEL, 

CLERK OF PRINTING RECORIib. UNITEn STATES SENATE. 



WA.SHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
I 892. 



Fiiiitial Ccrt'Dioiiiis in the Senate Clianibey. 5 

public st'ivii-es lit' till' ahsi'iit Senator. Tliu diirk (liapciy 
about the seat he so Vn\% occupicil forcibly reiniinis his fcllow- 
iiieinbcrs that they have lost one of their most acti\c and in- 
(histrious workers. His experience, iiis piactical way of doing 
things, his sagacity and his great jiowcrs of endurance, his 
constancy and faithfulness on duty and his alertness in action 
niacb' his a •■(inspicuous figure among the strong men of the 
nation, lint there are others who feel this bereavement more 
keenly than we, upon whom tin- lilow has fallen with crushing 
weight. There is a home, where this man was known as the 
world knows him not; a place where hearts are lacerated and 
bleeding: where a loving family will be glad, even in their 
grief, to receive at our hands what is left of tin- fond iiusl)and 
anil father in whose life theirs was closely bound. To them, 
at least, there are two sources of consolation, one that he fell 
while on duty at his post in the seivice of his country, the 
other that there is a fountain of strength, intinite in power 
and duration, from which we may ail draw in time of need. 
At the proper time I will ask the Senate to nami' a time when 
we may pay tribute to our deceased brother in an aiipropriate 
manner; and now, Mr. I'resident, I offer the following reso- 
lutions: 

^'Risoh-ed, That the sudden death of Hon. Treston B. 
I'lUJIB causes profound sorrow and deei> regret to his asso- 
ciates in the Senate. 

•^h'esolvcd, That a committei' of five Senators lie aiipointed 
by the Vice-President to take order with a committee of the 
House of Representatives for superintending the funeral of 
the late Senator Plumb; and as a mark of respect for his 
memory that his body l)e removeil from the capital to the 
State of Kansas iu charge of the Sergeaut-at-Arms and at 
tended by said committee, which shall have full jxiwer to carry 
the resolution into effect. 



*i Life and Chaini/fr of Prcstou B. riutub. 

••h'enolrtil. Tliat tin- Senate will, at 1 :.!<• tD-.lay. ati.ml ni its 
rliamher tin- exenises iiu-ideut t<> his fuueial, and that these 
H'siilutions 111- (oMiiiiiinicaled ti) the House of Reiiresentatives." 

Tlic lesolutious were a;,'ree(l to uuaiiiiuoiisly. and tlic Viee- 
President announced as the eoniinitter <>u tin- pari ot' tiie Sen- 
ate Messrs. I'l-tVer. I».il|ili. raddoik, Kansom. and i'alnier. 

Tin- Senate then, on niotion of Mr. Sliciniaii. look a reeess 
till 1 p. ni. 

Shortly before 1 o'clock the Cabinet ollicers and assistant sec- 
retariesof the l^xei iilive I)e|paitnnMiIsbc.-an lo arrive and were 
.shown to the President's room. Amonj; them were Sei-retary 
Blaine, Secretary Uusk. .V-sistant Secretary of War Grant, 
Solicitor-General Taft, and Assistant Secretaries of the Treas- 
ury Spauldinj,' and Xetth-ton. Tlic President. a<conii(anicd 
l)y Private Secretary Ilalford, arrived a few minutes past 1 
and joined the others in the Pre.sident's room. Mrs. Harri.son, 
o.seortcd l)y Lieut. Parker, of the Navy, oc<'Ui)ied a seat in the 
rcscived j;allcry. 

At 1 :■_•(» i'apt. Ha.s.sett, the Doorkeeper, anuouuced the 
Speaki 1 and members of the I louse. The Sjieakcr was escorted 
liy Serjeant at Arms Valentine to the seat on the ri<rht of the 
\'ice ['resident and the uicmbcrs liled in and look seats 
assijjnetl to IlicMi on the Democratic sideof the ciuunber. The 
number inclndcil luany of the older nu'inbersof the House who 
had known Senator I'l.r.Ml! for years. Five minutes after- 
wards thcmendjers ot' the I »iplomatic Corps — some twenty- live 
in number — not wcarin;^ their otlieial uniforms, arrived and 
were shown their seats in front of tlic members of the House. 
They were followed by the Chief .lust ice and Justices of the 
Supreme Couri. who took seats in front of the l)i])h»matic Corps. 
At exactly half-past 1 Capt. Ilassett aniM»nnced the presence of 
Hie President of the T'nited States and his Cabinet. 

Till' Senators and spectators stood up to do them 1 ir (as 



Fiiin-ra/ Cfrt-zi/o/iics in llif Soiatc Chambey. 7 

they hiid done also in tin- case oti lie I )i|iloinatie Corps aiidot'tlie 
Supreme Court). President Harrison and the meinbers of the 
Cabinet were shown to the aim cliaiis on the rigiit of the 
area, President Harrison nearest the central aish> and Mr. 
Blaine next to him. 

At 1:40 the ollicial committee, escortinji' the body of tin- 
dead Senator, appeared at the main entrance, and while 
all in the chamber arose the procession moved up the aisle, 
the Chaplain reciting the opening sentences of the funeral serv- 
ice: "'lam the resurrection and the life,' saith the Lord." 
The casket, borne by Capit>l jiolice, was deposited on the 
catatalque in front of the Clerk's desk. 

The tioral decorations consisted of a sheaf of palms and a 
large bunch of orchids sent by Senator Quay, a wreath of white 
carnations and roses from the Loyal Legion of Washington 
City, a pillow of ivy leaves with the corners decorated Avith 
violets and roses, sent by the Senator's friends here. Resting 
on the lid of the casket was a wreath of white immortelles 
from Chief Clerk Fred A. Stocks, of the Treasury Department. 

The Chaplain tinished from the Clerk's desk the reading of 
the funeral service and appropriate selections from the Scrip- 
tures, closing with the recitation of the poem : 

oil. Id 111' riMily whoii (Iriitli sIimII coivie : 
I )li, IIP 111- iiMily to hiishii liuiiii-. 

Then he closed with a prayer, in which he offered thanks for a 
a risen Saviour, for a reigning Loi'd, and for a Kingilom that 
shall survive death. The strong and noble man had fallen, but 
he had left the record of a useful life. 

When the prayer was concluded tlie Vice-President ro.se and 
said: ''The Sergeant-at- Arms, under the direction of the com- 
mittee, will execute the order of the Senate and escort the 
remains of the late Senator Plumb to his home in Kansas." 



8 Life and Character oj J'nsion B. Plumb. 

Theu. with tbi' whole a.sseiiiblatje staudiut; iii lespec-t for the 
dtfea.-^fd, tht- procession was ic-foniU'd and tlie body ot' the 
dead Seiiatt)!- was liorne out to be taken to the iaih<)a<l station. 

Tlie liudy. prereded 1).\' tlie Oougressloiial loiiiniiiiee. was 
then rarried tliriiuf;h tlie corridors to the east front of the 
Capitol, and tlii-nce dnwn tlie iiiauy stejts of the marble stairway 
to the hearse. 

I'lillowin^' the remains came tlie .Senators and Uejiresenta- 
tives. who formed by twos, with Mee-1'resident Morton at the 
head, and ae<-omitanied the body (HI foot to the station. 

The President and his Cabinet and other distin.unished i)er- 
sons were nsheied to I lieir carriages and joined the pioression. 

Till- maicli tu the station oci-npied a little less than half 
an hour. The route was tlirou.L;li the Capitol jimunds, Penn- 
sylvania avenue, and Sixth street to the I'ennsylvania liailinad 
station. Crowds of people pas.siufi on the Avenue stop]K'd to 
view tlie ])roe(ssioM. Airiviiij;- at the station, the members of 
the .Senate and ma!i,\' other friends of the th'ad Senator went 
inside and ianj;ed themselves in two lines alontr the sideof the 
car ill wiiich the body was to be placed. The casket, jireeeded 
by the Congressional committee, was then conxcyed to the car. 
The (-'ongressional cnminittee had a special car for their use 
during the trii). The names of the Senate Committee have 
been given previously. Tiie House Committee consisted of 
Messrs. IlrndericU and I'nnston. ot' Kansas: ('ate and Peel, oi' 
Arkansas; Voumans, ol' Michigan: Post, of Illinois, and Cogs- 
well, of .Massachu.setts. The two cars were attacheil to the 
Columbian express train, which left the city at3:l,'.j o'clock. 



Editorial Notices. 



EDITOKIAL .NOTJCKS ON SENATOR PLUMIVS DKATII. 



PERTAlNlNli Til I'll].: SK^•AT()K's DEATH. 

; Kxlniits Ircjiii tin- KmpoiKi (K:uis.| llaily K.lmlilkMii.J 

Of all tlif iiifii liokling- a loiemost place in i>ul)lic life iit 
LSitl. few seemed less likely to soi.ii leave this life than Peks- 
TON B. I'LUJiB, the senior Senator from Kansas. Couspicu- 
onsly powerful in appearance and in all his methods of work 
and action lie seemed certain to snr\ive all assaults save those 
of the ultimate years of man's allotted time. The auuounce- 
ment of his sudden death, tlierefore, cauie to the country as a 
terrible shock. The news seemed incredible, and wonderment 
gave way only after a full explanation. The wonder then be- 
came that he had so lony survived. It developed that, as a direct 
result of his extraordinary labors, Ids une(pia]ed api>licatioii 
to jmblic and jirivate duties, lie had siiffereil an impairment 
of the nervous system to such au extent as to bring him direct 
warnings of the end. For some time he had occasionally snf 
fered a partial or comjilete temporary jirostration of the gov- 
erning forces of the liody, and those nearest him had warned 
him fre(piently of his danger. The t\ill campaign iu Kansas 
in 1891 drew from the Senator a remarkable series of addresses 
delivered at a great expense of time and strength in all parts 
of the State. Following the campaign he made a hurried trip 
to Montana and then I'etuined to Washington to resume his 
legislative labors. What he did in the tirst weeks of the session 
indicated clearly that he had outlined for himself an unusually 
arduous year's work. Nearly all his former colleagues in Kan- 
sas had failed of rel'lection and his duties were, therefore, many 



10 Life and Characlcr of Preston B. Plumb. 

tiiiu's imiltipliod by reason of the iiH-xperieiK'e of his new as- 
sociates. With (hiuntloss courage he entered ou the new leg 
ishitive struggle. But he eould not ignore the danger signals 
which came to him. He (uncluded to take counsel of jihysi 
cians in I'hila(leli)hia and went to that city for tliat ])nriio.se. 
Dr. Pepjier advised immediate and ab.solate rest and a<'centu- 
ated his advice In the strongest possible manner. The Sen 
ator returned to Washington determined to follow I>r. I'ejjper's 
directions. His mind was fully unide up to take rest, regard- 
less of the countless demands on him. Returning from IMiil 
adeljjhia he reached Washington at about 7 o'clock in the excii 
ingof Saturday, the 10th day of December. ISIH. Having had 
no dinner he left his lodgings and went to (Jliamberlin's hotel 
for a lunch. There he met several gentlemen with whom he 
chatted jdeasantly until after midtiight. His friends of the 
evening remembered afterwards an unusual shade of repressed 
melaiicliiily in liis remarks and liis deiiieaiioi-. though his con 
ver.satiou was as interesting as ever. The Senator left his 
friends, returned t<i his rooms, and. after wi-iting a few lines to 
his pri\ate secretary, retired. At about 2 o'clock of Sunday 
morning (Deceml>er litl) the Senator called .Mr. .leiuiings. the 
j)roprietor of the house in which his rooms were, at No. (III! 
Fourteenth street, and asked him to summon a iiliysician. as he 
was sutlering from intense i>ain in his heail. Ui. I'liilij) Wales 
.soon arrived and ailiiiinistered. by liyiioclerniic iiijeciion. a 
poweiful sedative, from the elVects of which the suHerer fell 
into a dee|) slee]>. He contimieil UTiconscious until half-i)ast 
<> o'clock in the morning, when he s])rang from his bed with a 
violent nausea. When this had i-easeij tiie Senator put liis 
haMil> 111 his liead. as if in excruciating ]iain. and exclaimed, 
'•( >h. my ( bid I my head I my heaill" These were his last words. 
Me soon lost consciousTu'ss, sleejting again heavily. Latei 
in the morning Mr. I'.. I". I'lennikeii. the Senator's secretary, 



Edilflrial Notices. 11 

arrived and at once I'clt urcat alarm. FTo sent again for Dr. 
Wales, who iirouounccd tlic case one ot'apojjlexy. At 10 min- 
utes of 12 o'clocik tlic Senator died. 

There were piesent at tlie juoiiient of death Mr. Ph'nnikeii, 
Dr. Wales, and Mr. Jenninj>s. Instantly the sad news spread 
over the city and almost as (jniekly it went to all parts 
of the country as a telegrai)hie bulletin and by private mes- 
sages. The modest apartments wlien^ the dead Senator lay 
were immediately visited by thousands of interested eitizeus. 
Among the tiist to arrive was Mr. Secretary I'usk, whose un- 
restrained expressions of love and admiration for the dead 
Senator and grief at his untimely death were most touehingly 
eloquent. Many Senators, Cabinet ofticers, and other officials 
and finally the President called to express their sorrowful 
sur|)rise. 

The immediate members ol' tlie bereaved family though 
far apart were soon reached. Mrs. Phunb and her eldest 
daughter were at home in Emjioria. Mr. Amos H. Plumb, the 
eldest son, was in Philadelphia. Miss Ruth Plumli was in 
Topeka and the young son and daughter, Preston M(n-rill 
Plumb and Caroline Plumb, were at their res]ieeti\e schools 
in Pennsylvania. IVIrs. Plumb and Mi-. Amos Plumb were in 
poor health. Mrs. Plumb having that day attended church for 
the first time in months. All absent members of the family 
were able to start for home at onci- and did so. 



THE WORDS OF A STANCH FRIEND. 

[Hon. Frank Hatton, in tlie Washington Tost ] 

In the death of Preston 11. Piami? the country loses an emi- 
nent and patriotic citizen, the lie|)nblican ])art\ one of its earli- 
est, ablest, and most consistent leaders, the United States Sen- 



I'J Life and Character of Preston B. Plumb. 

ato an honest and i-ipiira;;e<>u.sstat*'siiiuii. To tlic State of Kan- 
sas the sudden closi- dC his luiiicinilile and usi-fiil lil'e, so con- 
spicuously marked liy a taithl'iil devotion to tlie interests of 
bis constituents, will lie a ealaniily indt'cd. To tlie host of 
friends whom the Senator had y:athered about him his decease 
will lie an iiiejiarable loss, for these best knew the inner dejiths 
and true nobility of his character. He was as true to his sense 
of personal honor as he was to his sense of public duty, and in 
both resju'cts In- was irreproachable. 

Mr. Pi.tMH l(»ok his seat in the Senate in 1S77 and rajiidly 
rose to distinction in legislation and debate. There he found 
a theater worthy of his i)owers, and no member of that august 
body ever consecrated himself to its duties with a more con- 
scientious spirit or acquitted himself of their iierforuiance with 
more constant and sterling fidelity. 

The deceased Senator was a man of prononiiced convictions 
on all ^'leat (|Uestions, ])olitical or otherwise, and he was as 
fearless in their utterance as he was sincere in their entertain- 
ment, if not a gifted orator in the ordinary sense of the term, 
he was endowed with that greatest of all oratorical gifts, the 
power ot' commanding the attention of his hearers wheiiexer he 
s]ioke and imiiressing his views clearly and durably upon the 
public intelligence. When lie arose to address rlie Senate the 
country listened. 

It was the rugged honesty of Mr. I'l.UMn, coupled with his 
admitted knowledge of atlairs, that gave weight to his judg- 
ment and exacted the resjjcct of his oi)])onents. He was a 
hater of cant in all its forms, lie had no use tor shams of any 
sort. In the lexicon of his true and inardy iiatiiie then' was 
no such wordasliy])ocrisy. Asa Senator of I lie Cnited States 
he based his action upon the same ingenuous and upright 
piincl|(les as those by which he governed his conduct as an 
nntitle(l citi/.eii. lie was not a man nl iiolicje-. and expedients, 



I-'di/orial A^ot/irs. ' 13 

offoiiii.roiiiisc.s or coiicfalimMirs. citluT ;is It-jiisliitor or i>oliti- 

ciaii. 

Thr Wcualor will !»■ rriiK'iiilMMfd loii-' ami lirarcfiilly liy tlic 
<'iti/.ciis oflhc District olCi'liiiiibia lor liis disinterested and 
energetic labors in h.Oiaildl' tlic welfare and i>rogress of the 
:N"ationiil Capital. As a inendicr of the Ajipropi-iations Com- 
mittee and chairman of the snhcommittee on Distriet ainiro- 
priations he had ren(h>r.'d eflicieut .servi<'e. and his recent ap^ 
liointment as a member of tlie new Distriet committee of tlie 
Senate was a subjeet of genei-al ooiigratnhition. 

Mr. Pltmb was a hard worker in ami cmt of the Senate. 
^'o responsibility devolved upon him to be neglected or untul- 
filled. JTo demand upon his time or serv-ices whieh he knew to 
be legitimate in itself was ever ignored. It is not too much to 
say that his i)ublic life was a life of laborious self-sacriflee in be- 
half of others. It was this constant strain in tlie line of du- 
tiful endeavor that gradually undermined his strength and at 
last precipitated the crisis that s(Hiiier or later nurst overtake 
all men who, in the iilenitude of a generous and ambitious 
zeal, make similar drafts uiion their mental and physical 
powers. 

Plain and uupretentioiis of manner, abounding in human 
sympathies, a lover of his kind and a lover of his eountry, Mr. 
Plumb was essentially a man of the people. Yet the arts of 
the demagogue he held in thorough contempt. He was a rep- 
resentative American citizen, with exalted ideas of the obliga- 
tions which citizenshij) imposes; he was a statesman to be 
trusted in any emergency; he was unfaltering in his loyalty 
to Eepubbcan principles; he was firm to faultlessness in his 
fi-iendships : he stood squarely upon his merits as a man in all 
the relations of life, anil he died leaving a worthy example, a 
fadeless memory, and a name without a l>lemish. 



14 Lijt and Character of Preston B. Plumb. 



KANSAS AM) TIIK NATION STRKKKN. 

[Kiliutriul ill till' KiinrtiiH City •loiinial.] 

Siinr Liiiriiln tiL'll lui ilialli has i-viT bidiiglir such jfiii'l' to 
Kansas as tliat of TuKsToN B. I'LUMB, her senior Senator. 

Tlic ilt-ath of .laiiu's H. Lane was a shock to liis many 
anient personal adherents, Iml his countless bitter enemies 
conhl not tnoniii. 

The ileath of President (larlield drew heavily on the syni- 
patliies ot" every citi/.en, lint the loss did Tint quite come as a 
personal one. 

The deatli oCileneral (Irani iiciwcd t he Inads nl' ihnnsands 
ot' his former coni|)anioiis of camji and ticld, Imt his wcuk ha<l 
been rounded t<i a perfect close. 

Others have passed away who were loved or esteemetl by 
Kansans for some near relation ot'a social, commercial, or polit- 
ical nature, but the loss iias touched the few rather than the 
many. i'>y tlie death of Senator 1'lu:mb scarcely a citizen 
iif the entire State will feel otherwise than as personally be- 
ica\ed. lie has left no citizen untouched, sin<;ly or in classes. 
Me jiave his hand to every man and said to iiim : •• 1 am your 
servant: tell me what 1 shall do; tell me |iarlicularl\ wliai 1 
shall do for yon." 

lie hail stru^filed with prixation and ]io\erIy: therelorc he 
knew the hearts of his fellow s. lb- liad braved all the hard 
shijis of frontier life; therefoie he knew how his State had 
been made, ami he l'oi-j;ot mi part of the record or no indi- 
vidual of the many who were with him in that memorable 
makili;;. lie had been a worker at the cratt of his choice, a 
printer, dependent on his toil for a liviiifi; therefore he knew 
the need> of all those of like situation. He had toiled at the 
treadmill of the pres.s; therefore he knew how the i)eo)ile learn 



/{i/if<in'al Xo/ices. 15 

:uul liipw Tliry slunild he tMuylit. lie li;ul triiuiii)lic(l in the 
jiractiee of the hiw ; tlieiefore lie knew of all the iuinieasurable 
stresses which are \m\ on nu-n who take the hazard of com- 
niereial fortnnes. lie had licen close to the enchanted realms 
of wealth or within them, and he knew how much and how 
little to call them yood; and, tinally, he had I )orne the crushing- 
burdens of the peojile in his work as their rex)reseutative iu the 
highest delil^erative body of the world. 

Year in and year out he had tlung himself into his work 
with an energy almost unparalleled. He tlinehed from uo un- 
dertaking, how ever arduous, and never asked for rest or rec- 
reation. It might have been better if he had. He assailed all 
public questions with an impetuous power almost amounting' 
to fury. A task undone to him was an irritation and a chal- 
lenge. 

Xo wish of a onistituent was counted as a trifle. To grind 
every grist and grind it Hue was his habit. 

This was the man in outline at all times. Who can fully 
appreciate what he became in the past year, when all hi.s asso- 
ciates but one had been retired and their work had come to 
him? hi him centered the hopes of hundreds of thousands, 
anil up to him led the lines of thought of all his active and 
intelligent constituents, and this not alone of the State. The 
nation had come to consider him its own, and no community 
in the whole land will be without sadness at his demise. 

Kansas will have the sympathy of her sister States. Her 
champion is gone, and no other can fully take his place. The 
times that bred him will never be rei>eated. The founding of 
the State will not be done twice. What lias been has been, 
and time has set its seal. 

Preston B. Plumb has driven his name into the living- 
rock which underlies his beloved Kansas, and there it will be 
read so long as her people know history. 



16 Life and Characttr of Pi-fslon B. Plumb. 



win AI.I. KANSAS IS IN SORROW. 

' K<Iil«iri;il III Kiiii-iiiM Stiiti' •Iiitiriial. T«>p4'ka.i 

Deatli lias struck its most savajie tilowat Kansas, as if in 
Vfii;;fance. Senator I'MMli isdcail. At tlic vt-iy liour wlicii 
thf nee«ls of tin- Stati- wne suiierlativf and wlicn liis equip- 
ment was most romjdete. lie is stricken down at his post of 
duty. Tile help that lie was .so able and so williiij;: to {rive 
can not come to us. The lumiiiy lie was so ea^fcr to add to 
That already ;riven his beloved jieople can not now be ours. 
His loiifj years ot' usefulness, filled with every form of {jener- 
ous action, have come to an end and there is no consolation. 

N\'c arc lierca\'ccl indeed. He was the pcojije's servant. 
but lie was a fatherly servant. He served because he loved. 
Kansas was elose to his heart. From the jioorest wild tiowers 
of the remotest jirairie to the cliiiibin;: dome of thecapitol tin- 
State he helped to fotuid was his pride and his joy. Himself 
a laifre part of the Titanic strujcgle for tlie planting: of free- 
dom on this soil, he had come down the subseipieiit years of 
our history hand in hand with our iirosjierity. soundin;: our 
virtues, eoiicealiiii,' our faults, Ufjhting our battles, ;uid rejoiiiii'r 
with our joys. 

His clear vision, aided by the lamp of ex]>eriencc. which 
burned so brilliantly for him. saw far ahead the course of the 
sliiji of state and his steady hand si't the rudder rifrht. 

He was a plain man. a man of the | pie. Withoui arm 

;,'anee. he vaunted not himself. The more his jiower jiiew the 
more he seemed to feel that it was of the people and for the 
people. He never posed as tile author of his own {jreatiiess 
and never demanded homage in return for his -nod dee(l>. lb- 
kept no books with his fellow citi/ens. He did not .set ilown 
either charges against others orcrcdits for himself. He felt the 



Ediliirial Notices. 17 

swift rusli of tlie cunriit nf life and knew there was no time fs- 
cept for doing good. He did uot suflicicntl.N know tlie limit set 
on linniau strengtli and human endeavor, so swift was he and so 
powerful in the race of life. There seemed to be nothing lie 
(•(uild not do and little that he left undone, exeei)t to care for 
his own liealth. His friends no doubt shared his own thought- 
lessness as to his reserves of vitality and drew on him too 
heavily. Though many of them spoke to him at one time or 
another of his o\ erwhelmiug burdens it was more to express 
surprise at his power than fear for his safety. 

And so he went on to the end. Doing for all. caring for all, 
his mind full of his people — of both State and nation — he wore 
himself out and fell at is post. Kansas will uot know his like 
again and will not forget him while her history lasts. 



OITR GREAT LOS.S. 
[Hon. ('. v. Eakridge, in Emiioriji Republican.] 

The announcement of the sudden and totally unexpected 
death of our senior United 8tates Senatoi' comes as a shock and 
a blow to Kansas. The entire nation will be grieved as well 
as startled at the sad intelligence, luit in Kansas the feeling 
is one of personal l)ereavement and inexjiressilile sorrow. 

No other public official of the State held so higli a place 
in the affections of all the people. No other oflicial was so 
generally useful or so nearly indisi)ensal)le. Years of patient, 
faithful, self-sacriflcing service had gained for him the confi- 
dence and the gratitude of citizens of every county and town- 
ship. Me!i who radically differed from him politically esteemed 
and admired him personally'. In season and out of season he 
labored for the good of the peojile lu' rei)resented, and his great 
publi(^ services were universally recognized and ap])reciated. 

S. Mis, 228 13 



18 Life and Character of Preston B. I'lmiib. 

His rciiutatiim had cuiiie to be national, and his name was 
frequently inentione<l in eouneetion with the hifjhest ottice in 
the {jift of the American people. Tlu' tlioronghgointr business 
habits which he took with him into official life made him a must 
useful man iu the Senate antl jrave him a standinjj amonj; his 
colleajjues which few occiiiiied. It was •generally conceded 
that when Plu.mh had sifted any inactical subject he had yol 
all there was in it, and his statements of fact were seldom 
(juestioned. Wliile others studied rhetoricals and attitudes, 
he plodded throuy;h figures and departmental reports and got 
at the groundwork and sul)Stance of national problems. His 
re]>utatioii was that ot' a business Senator; and never was a 
re]iutation more faithfully won or better deserved. 

In his home town and county. Senator I'li'mh was known 
as a publiesjiirited citizen and kind neighbor. He always met 
the most liiimbleof his fellow citi/cns witiia genial familiarity 
that made them feel he was one among them and could be ap- 
proached without ceremony or embarrassment. As nnilti- 
tudinous as were the demands made upon his time, he never 
ignored the request of any constituent or failed to do what he 
reasonably could to have the request granteil. Ollicial duties 
took him from home most of the time, but he was always in- 
terested in home affairs and seldom if ever refused to cinitrib- 
ute to home charities and juiblic enteri)rises. His alliicted 
and stricken family will have all the heartfelt sympathy which 
a sorrowing i)eo])]e can bestow. The loss falls deeply uixm the 
nation, the State, the county, and the town, but to the family 
it is crushing and irreparable. 

Hon. Pkkston B. I'lumb was born in Delaware County, 
Ohio. October 12,1837. He resided iu Ohio until 1850 and 
received his early education in the common si'hools of tliat 
State, lie came t(» Kansas in ,lniie. IS.'jIi. Ideating, in the fall 
of that year, in Saline Countv. The winter of ls."i(;_'.")7 la- 



Edilnrial Xolicrs. 19 

S])ent in LawTciut' and in March, Is.'iT, located in Ilnipoiia. 
He was one of tne orij;iiial town company. He liad been bred 
as ii printer and educated as a Joiiinalist. and estahlislied The 
News, the tiist nnniher beint,'' issued .lune fi, 1857. His con- 
nection with tlie pajiei' continued Tintil ISdl'. He was adnut- 
ted to tlie bar in ISOl and coninienced the luactice of hiw. 
In IStW lie reeruited two companies fur the Hleventh Kansas 
regiment and was mustered into service as second lieutenant 
Anjiust 12, 1SG2. He was successively promoted to captain, 
to major, and to lieutenant-colonel, and was mustered out at 
Fort Leavenworth Sejjteniber 3(», 18(55. He returned to Em- 
poria and resumed the practice of law. He was elected to the 
State Legislature in 180(! and rei'lected in 18(>7. In the tall 
of 1867 he formed a law partnership with Judge Ruggles, 
under tlie firm name of Ruggles & Plumli, and continued the 
practice of law until the dissolution of the partnership in 1872. 
He subsequently engaged in manufacturing and coal-mining 
at Osage. In January, 187.'?, he was elected president of the 
Emporia iSTational r>ank. lie was elected to the Fnited States 
Senate in February, 1877, and rei^lected in 188;3. In 1889 he 
was rei'lected for a third term, practic-ally without opposition, 
he being in Washington at the time. He had still four years 
of unex]pired term to serve at the time of his death. For the 
honoraldecareer of Senator Plumb as a citizen of Kansas, the 
reader is referred to the history of the State with which his 
life is interwoven. As a Journalist, a public spirited citizen, 
and an ardent champion of his State, his name is inseparably 
connected witli all that gives a Kansaii pride. 

Of the many eminent names enrolled upon the State's record 
of great men, none stands higher, either from the standpoint of 
a <-itizen or public servant, than that of Preston B. Plumb of 
Emxioria. 

But a few brief davs ago Senator Ph^mr bade adieu to his 



20 IJfc and Character of I^-csloii li. I'litmb. 

KiiiIMiria triiMi<ls and his family and departi'd f<ir Wasliiiijjton 
to coiitiiiiic his laliors in l)('liall' of Kansas ami the nation. 
To-day Emporia is in the habiliments nf inoiuninfr to w 
ceive back all ttiat rcniaiii.s of the onc-f stronji- man and 
eminent leader. To Kansas he wa.s a most worthy eitizeu 
and lopiesentative, a statesman of whose hij^h abilities the 
whole State was justly prond; to Emjioria he was more; he 
was our townsman, our friend, our benefactor, and our chief 
Iiriile. Other communities will regret the State's lo.ss; Em- 
poria will mourn for him with a grief akin to personal bereave- 
ment. He belonged to Kansas, it is true, lint he was from 
Enipoiia and of i;ni|)oiia, and Ijuporia's (^laini was a little 
stronger and her alfection a little deei)er than that of any 
other community. When here he was among his neighbors 
and his personal friends, among the people with whom he had 
associated as a private citizen, who \<w\\ him best and es- 
teeniiii liiin most. Here was ins abiding i)lace, the one spot 
on earth — as lie himself exi)ressed it — that he called home, 
where he expected to spend the remainder of life when his 
ofKcial duties were einled and where he intended thii.t his bones 
should be buried. Emporia has watched his ]>ul)lic career 
from its begimung with .scdicitude and with admiration. She 
has rejoiced in his successes and hoped for him yet greater 
honors to come. Now she bows in deepest sorrow to a fate 
no ]n)wer can alter and shares the jmignant grief that weighs 
down a stricken family. 



iiiK ( Ai;i:i'-.u OF senakh; i'MMh. 

[IIoii. J;ii<))t .Stotlfr. ill ttii* Siinilirr CiMinly I*r»*)*«.] 

The writer tiist met the late Senator I'lfMii in Maicli, 18.56. 
He was one of tlie jiulilishers of the Xenia (Ohio) News. He 
a<lvertised foi- a fuieman and we rode across the countrv bS 



Edildiial yoticcs. 21 

iiiilfs from onr old home and K"' >' .!"'»• 'l'''^' <oimufiic.(l a 
wiinii tVk'iidship whicli lasted with littl.' iiitiTiuptioii lor tliirly- 
flve years. He was then a slim, awkward buy of I'.l, but with 
the same habits of industry that eharacterized ins cut ire career. 
We were told by his employes that we would not stay in the 
office three weeks: that I'Ll'MB was liard to K''t alonj;' witii, 
ete. lie was always exaetini;-, but he was fair ami .just, lie 

hated a lazy nnm or a shirk all his life. We found liflieulty 

in -ettinj; alonj;' with him. lu KS50 the, local department of 
the .-ountrN- newspaper was little known. I'lujib conducted 
a column in his paper under the striking head, "Our Tine 
Box." The imme was a ndsnumer for I'n r^iB, because we do 
not believe he ever sat ou a store box loni; enough to catch au 
item. He rather caught tlu^m on the tiy. We never knew 
much of his younger days. He rarely made allusions to him- 
self at any time. We learned he came from Union County, 
Ohio, to Xeuia; that he was born in Delaware (/ounty, same 
State, October 113, 1S;>7; that he had been at an Ki.iscopaliau 
school there and learned his trade in theolliceof a paper of that 
faith while securing his schooling. We learned what we knew 
of him from a younger brother, ,)osei)hus. who was with him 
in the Xenia office. This boy was (me of the nn)st religious and 
conscieutious youths we ever met. He had great faitli in 
Preston, as he i-alled him, but sometimes had to rebuke the 
future Senator for slight deviations from the straight aiul nar- 
row way. The editor had great love for the younger brother. 
In the Xeuia News office Mr. Plumb began his earnest life 
woik. He took to politics naturally. The old paper there was 
published by Robert McBratney, who afterwards came to Kan- 
sas and died some years ago. The young editor had an andu 
tion to beat his competitor on all occasions and generally ilid 
so. We i'ememl>er tiiat in the summer of IS."*!! he went int(» 
the party convention and overturned the plans of McBratney 



22 Life ail i Character of Prcslou li. Plumb. 

iUiil the |iiiliticiaiis ami won a substantial victiny for his new 
l)a|>or. While he was lull of tii<- life ami fun of youth, his 
associates in Xenia weie tiiostly men considerably older than 
himself. Kven then In- was ronsultfd l)y tlic It-ailiii;; men of 
the town. His iiowi-r to sec the t'rtVct of action was always 
wonderful. Among hi.s .schoolfellows and neighbors when a 
boy he was the leader. An accident ha])pened to him wlien a 
boy whicli iii-arly cost him his lite and must have impressed 
him with the importance of being more cautious. There was 
.some .sort of a <-elel)ration. and among the attractions was a 
tame beai- chained in a barn. This was fun for the boys, and 
young I'l.iMB entered fully into the sport of teasing the young 
animal. He venturcil too close and was caught and nearly 
torn to ])ieces. The gieat seal's on his legs and body he carried 
to liis grave. 

i'lic |ioliiical excitement in Ohio that year over the Kansas 
struggle was at fever lieat. The late Granville Mciod\ was ilie 
Methodist iireaclier for Xeuia. He was an agitator and lighter. 
He stirred the young men and old and he and PuMiJ were 
frientls. When the Frt'mont campaign was on. the young 
editor entered into the spirit of the struggle with all the 
c'.itlnisiasm of his mituie. He was literally working himself 
to death even at Iliat date to establish his pai)er and make it 
the leader. \\'e know of his working three idghts in a week 
all night. In l)roken health he canu' into the otHce om- day 
and announced his intention of going to Kansas. •• When 
will you go ?" "To-morroW'." And he went. He traveled over 
the territory mostly on foot, going as far west as where Salina 
now stands, wiieie lie ami olliers laid oiil a town. 1 think. 
which they named .Marii)osa, in honor of FrenH)nt. When he 
went he was for noninterference with slavery. When he re- 
turned he was a thorough abolitionist and for a ligiit if neces- 
.sary. lie had no jiatience \\ith or respect for the timeserving 



luiiloria! Xolicrs. 23 

ami sla\('r\ -worsliijtiiii; adiiiinistialiini wliicli was usini;- all its 
power to force slavi'iy (111 Kansas by fan- iiicaii.s or foul. His 
hcallli liad so far improved in the six or seven weeks' trip aail 
be had become so rolnist and bronzed that his Xeiiia friends 
liardly roeoj;mzed him. From that time on his whole life was 
for Kansas. Sacriticinjiliis interests in Xenia he raised a small 
company for the Kansas service and was chosen its h'ader. 
That company came thron.uh most of the way on foot. It had 
charge of a cannon from Iowa ('ity, w liicii was delivered safel\ 
at Topeka. At one time they were jiressed and burled their 
gun. At another time there was a mutiny in tlie company, 
which was speeilily suiijiressed by Mr. l'Lr:viB and one of his 
fuithtul friends. 

During the winter Mr. Plumb and his Mariposa friends had 
to abandon their quarters in the far West and retreat to Law- 
rence to keep from starving. Here for a time lie worked at 
the printers' trade and fell in with a party wlio were about to 
lay out the new town of Emporia. He agreed for his jtart to 
start a paper to speak for the interests of the wondertul new 
city. Returning to Ohio in ^larcli, IS.".?, he induced a number 
of young men, including tlie writer, to go to the new town. 
The first number of the Emporia News was issued June 0, 
1857. The new town was 75 miles from Lawrence, the leading 
town in the Territory, and the embryo Senator not infrequently 
made the trip on foot. 

l\Ir. Plumb was a born leader. At the new town nothing 
could be d(me without him. His guidini; hand was in everv- 
tliiiig. He was poor and all were jioor, but the interests of 
Emporia were always kept in the front. I'lumi! liad railroad 
men, merchants, professional men. mechanics, and manufac- 
turers there all the time looking at the new city. No railroad 
meeting in any jiart of the Territory was aIlo\ve<l to jiass witii- 
out an Emporia rei)resentati\-e. So, with iiolitical movements, 



24 Life ami Character of Preston B. J'iiinib. 

Emporia was in i-vtivtliiii.ir. His artivity l)t"<rat eiii'mies, who 
iiccasiiuially iiiaili' sorties a;.Miiist liiui, but they retired always 
from the eontest woiste<l. Tlie News was a siiiprisinijly well- 
edited paper. Ittonk rank at once with the I.est in the Terri- 
tory, and never o((U])ied a doubttnl jjosition on any question. 
PLfMif seemed to know everything- at twenty, and what sur- 
prised his tVien<Is was where he leaiiied so mueii, l)eeause his 
educatiiinal ad\ama;.:es were limited. His p(pwer as a writer 
was reco.unized all over the Territory. At home he was the 
center around which the scattered settlement larjrely revolved. 
If the boys had a little fun on hand, I'lumij was in it. If the 
community was in any sort «if trouble, the lirst (luestion was, 
•• Where is I'lcjiij ?" If he was not at home he was sent for. 
We remember that in 18»)I there were freiiuent incursicjns of 
bushwhackers in the southeastern part of the State. Hum- 
boldt, an outiiost. was sacked twice. The leadn .>i this gang 
was a desperado named Matthew.s. The settlers on the lower 
Neo.sho appealed to their brethren farther up the river for 
hel]). ri.fMB was ready in a few hours. With nineteen Em- 
poria boys he was riding rapidly to the .scene of trouble. By 
the time they arrived the bushwhackers liad retreated to 
where Cherokee County now is. Quite a force of settlers had 
gathered from dillerent (piarters. It is ])robable that here 
I'LUMB and the late (Jeueral lUiinl lirst met. They resolved 
at once to pursue Matthews. The result was that ."Matthews 
never again troubled the settlers or anyone else. Here I'LiMH 
and liluiit smell tiie lirst blood of the war. 

Ml. I'M-Mii's fatlier and lii> lainily followed the son to Kan- 
sas. They settled on the Neosho, near EmiHU'ia. Their alfec- 
tion for the son was very great and it was recii)rocated. The 
father was a .piiet man of sterling i|Ualities. He is still living 
at Emporia. The mother died a few years ago. .She was a 
woman of superior intelligence and strong will ]M.wer. These 



Editorial Xi'liccs. 25 

old |i»'(i|ilc st'tiiicd Id he of Ilic rmitan stock. Miss I'^llon 
Plumb li;is been in tlic liook liiisincss in l';ini)oria for twciit-y 
years or iiioic, anil is a most excellent woman. The brother 
spoken of in the bef^innini;' of tliis article died s(jon after their 
arrival, and the loss was seriously felt by all the family. One 
brotlier, William ■!.. has been in Xe\ada or Idado for many 
years. (ieori;t' I'lumb is a farnu'r near lOmiJoria. jVrtlinr is a 
merehant at Iteadint;. He has been in the lejfislature. The 
yonngest eliild. Mary, is the wife of Perry Ed'svards, a farmer 
near Emporia. 

He soon determined to leave the news])aj)er and to study- 
law. He attended lectures two winter.s at Cleveland. Return- 
ing to Emporia in 1801, he opened a law ottice. He told the 
■wi'iter it was not much of a law ollice, with a rude table and 
some store boxes for seats, but that the ollice was as good as 
the lawyer. During this time his health was precarious. lie 
had frequent and severe hemorrhages of the lungs, and it was 
feared he would not reeover. luLSlil-'the war fever seized him. 
lie was a warm admirer of (xcn. Tom Ewing, and w hen that 
gentleman was authorized to raise the Eleventh Kansas Infan- 
try Plumb joined him and raised two companies at Emporia 
and surrounding country. He threw all his energy and zeal 
into this movement and was very eflicient in assisting (len. 
Ewing. He served until tlie close of the struggle and came out 
brevet colonel. In the service he regained his health. In fact, 
it seems to have saved his life for the hom>ralile and useful 
career before him. Coming out ol' the war he formed a partner- 
ship with the late .•udgeRuggles, and won distinction and suc- 
cess at the bar. In this he worked day and night. Xo task or 
duty ever staggered him. The firm had a business in the last 
two or three years of its existence only surpassed by one in 
the young State. His next undertaking was banking. He 
had induced Ohio frieiLds and others to invest in a liank, ami, 



26 Life and Clutraclcr of I'rcstoii n. Pltoitb. 

the returns not beiiijr satisfactory, they finally ileinaudeil he 
slmnlil take the niana<;enient of the eoneern. He did so. and 
tlie result wasaniitlief success. The hank soon took rank ainonjj 
the best in the State. Mr. Pumh hail secured considerable 
wealth by his habitsof industry and ccipuoiny and by fortunate 
.sjM'culations. He was a money maker. He i)ossessed a fore- 
sight in this respect which was wonderful. At Ihiilnsi- ol' tin- 
war he said to a friend, "There is going to be a chance to make 
some money iu the next live or ten years which neither of us 
may ever have again. I havedetermini'd to avail my.self of it. 
I shall devote all my energy and jmwers in securing my share of 
it. \\ f have had a uood time as boys together in Hniporia; 
now we are men. and it is time for us to do something for 
ourselves. I shall pursue this course and I ad\ise you to do 
the same." He carried out his programme and won. He had 
nut made aiiytliingdut c)f liis tiiwii s])eciilalioii. Ih' gave away 
the most of his lots. At the close of the war he was not worth 
over S;i,00t>. He had an intuitive knowledge of investm<'nts. 
In twenty years he had an immense fortune. 

Senator Pn'"vi I! hclil the idlldwing oilicial ]i(isiti(iiis: Mem- 
ber of the Leavenworth constitutioiuil convention, 18"».S; re- 
porter of the su])reme court in l.SIU, which he vacated by resig- 
nation; re])resentativcin the legislature in ISGl'; representative 
and si)eak<'r in 1867: representative in ISOS; elected Inited 
States Senator in IsTT. ami reelected in 18.S;? and 188<,t, ]irac- 
tically without ()|)i)osition in his party. His candidacy in 1877 
was purely tlie work of his friends, lie did md believe he 
ciuild succeed, saying that his time had not come to run for 
so high an ol1ic<>. .lust preceding this he had spent ten or 
twehe years in the law and banlcing business, had paid little 
attention to juditics. and was not so well known as Ibrmerly. 
He however yielded to the solicitations of friends who sin- 
cerely tlesireil to see him in the Senate and win maintained 



Editorial Notices. 2~ 

that (U'tVnt, ifit caiiii'. woiilil init tiiirt liiiii. Mr. I'lj'Mi! liail 
always been an ardnit adiiiirci- of Horace (Irecicy anil liad 
voted l'i>r liini for rresidont in ISTi'. (Jld-linie Ifcpuhlicans 
pre(lieted tins act would hint liini in tlie race, aud it did. Had 
it not been for that vote he wonld have made a Letter race, ii', 
indeed, lie had not seemed iiis election. He was recoyni/.ed 
by all as in many respects the ablest and best man in the race 
at the time. As it was, he and his friends made a <-lean and 
spirited light and retired in most excelh-nt condition, leaving 
all interests t'rieiHlly and ]\Ir. Putmb in most excellent sbajje 
for the next contest. In bSTT. after a stubbornly fonght con 
test, he was elected on the sixteenth ballot. Xo man ever had 
more ardent su])porters than he. Mis course in the Senate is 
so well know n by the peo]ile of the State that it need hardly 
be mentioned. No >State ever had a more efticient, faithful, or 
truer representative in that body. I'rom the day he entered 
the Senate he grew. He was better accpiainted with people 
personally than any Kansas politician has ever been. He lived 
near them and he worked for them. No man e\cr wrote to him 
who did not get an answer, which stated frankly what could 
or could not be done for him. He kept himself constantly in 
accord with the public sentiment of the State. From this he 
largely shaped his course. He was in constant correspondence 
with hundreds of his constituents, asking about the condition 
of the crops or this or that interest. He had an interest in 
everything that jiertaiued to his State. He began to stiuly it 
in l.sr>7. He knew more about it than anyone else. He was 
careful and painstaking in everything, but in nothing more 
than in gathering information about Kansas. He perceived it 
to be his duty to be represeiitati\e of Kansas interests. In 
this regard he was the highest tyjie of a Senator. While 
taking a general interest in national affairs and everything in 



28 



Life and Character of Preston B. Plumb. 



freiicriil tlcbatf. In- was inci-iiiiin'iitly a ifprcst'iitativc of lii.s 
uwii pi-oitle. 

The pionlc of Kansas have lost a valuable frii-ml. (Hii- whose 
jilai-i- will probably iii'verbc lillcil, and the sorrow is universal. 
The whole State is in niourninj;. He has more i)ersonal friends 
in Kansas than any other man ever 1iad. Ontlu-iSth of .March, 
1S(»7. at .Vshlaliiila. ( )hio. .Mr. I'l.iM i; married -Aliss Caroline 
Soutliuirk. The liiiits of this marriajie weri- si.\ ehildren, 
who. ;;iven in order, are as follows: ^lary. .Vnios, Thomas, 
Iliitli. Caroline, and Preston. Thomas died February 4. 1871.'; 
Prest<m is attending sehool at Nazareth. I'a.. and Caroline at Lit- 
it/, I'a. ISiii li. in company with .\mos. who was under niedieal 
tieatnieiit in Philadeli)hia when the newsreaeheil liiin. started 
for Emporia at once, to be at the fuiu-ral of their father. 

Seuatiu- PLf.MB literally made himself what he was. liis 
career shows the possibilities of American citizenship to him 
who is willing to seize his o])piMtuiiit ies and use rhein for ail 
they are worth. He was a great student as well as a great 
worker. He had a wonderfully retentixe memory. The sen- 
sible practical pari of everything was made useful by him. 
He was little in society, lie had not much time I'm the ordi 
luiry forms of social life. Hut peoide were emleared to him in 
high degree tor his woith as a man and his work for them. 
His work is linished. It was a life iiuistery of everything that 
came before him for action. His career stands nut in the broad, 
bright light of genius, of energy, of devotion to duty. His 
nanu' is written in colors that will last in the high i)laces of 
the nation ami on tiie hearts of the jtcoiilt-. Had he lived ten 
Vears longer he would ha\i' lieen I'resident. 



EdiloriaL Notices. 29 



HOW WIO lU'KIKD HIM. 

[Hon. M. M. SIunl...k, in fin- Wi.hita Daily EaL'l.-. I)i'ieiiil)cr 2fi, 1391.] 

Ill (^oiiipaiiy with iiiaiiy t'cllow citizens, we went up to !mry 
the friend of the many. Ilavin.i;' for the last tinit' hioked upon 
his great, kind, ruj;ged fare, whicli heM only the jientle repose 
of a natural, restful sleep, we k'ft him, all alone, out in the sad 
prairie, ihiwii four feet under the eold weight of the coarse 
H'ravel of a bleak knoll, whose luownji'ray summit overhxiks 
the scenes of his life's supreinest struggles ami freshest hopes; 
clustering along whose lower slojies are the ties and interests 
of the homes and institutions for which his loyalty never 
wavered, and for the rude foundations of whose commonplace 
superstructures he hekl a more abiding love, a truer pride, 
than for even those which in magniticence inclose the crypt, 
the marble doors, and sustain the mighty dome of the Nation's 
Capitol. This friend of the many was thus left there, all 
alone, in the gloom of the waning day, while the many who 
had by him been befriended stood disturbed, vexed, and dis- 
contented, to be whirled, full soon, homeward, away through 
the uight, to face again, with mayhap a more subdued ambition, 
the problems and duties of life. The day had been a perfect 
one in its mocking ghiry of warm sunshine, l)ut as the hard 
clods fell heavily down over the iiuiet face and unresisting 
breast of him whom we all were sit loath to leave to such loneli- 
ness, the protecting arch of heaven's blue depths were sud- 
denly veiled in troulded clouds like folds of mourning crape, 
aud as the dark came down the lamenting winds, in an increas- 
ing chill, swept with regretful sighs that desolate spot, de- 
serted by the living for the dead. 



30 Life and Character of Preston B. Plumb. 



THE STORY OF THK SKNATOR AND THK ACTOR. 

;Mr. Al»*xninii-r Kutls. in tbt- KaimaM City Stjur.j 

f'liarh's I). Koadc. the assistant ser};i'aiitatarms of the 
United States Senate, who had eharjte of the Conjfressional 
party that attended the funeral of the hite Senator PUMB. 
was for a iiinnlifr of years tbe personal friend of tlic man whose 
hody he escorted to its last restinfi; place. 

Iteade introduced Senatt)r I'H'MU to ••Billy" Crane, whose 
character in ••The Senator"* is a study of the Kansas Senator. 

" 1 have been wonderiujt for tlie hist (hiy ui two," remarked 
Heade, last evening, on the train returuing from Emporia, 
•'whether 'Billy' Crane will ever play 'The Senator' ajrain. 
I infroduee(l I'l.rMi! and Crane. It was like this: Crane is an 
iild iVicuil of mine, ami one evening; w hen he was ]ilayin}^ in 
Washinj^ton I was sittinjr in his dressinjtj room. He had been 
tellinfrme that lie and IJohson were to ])art ciim))any and that 
he was to stap' a play himself, Imt lie did not tell me what tiie 
play was to be. Duriii;;' the cotirse of the evening he remarked 
that he would like much to meet some members of the I'nited 
States Senate. I told him that if he would do nie the honor to 
dine witli me 1 would introduce him to a number. He ei)U- 
seiited at once, and I arranged a little dinner party. 

••Tlic repast was spread in the private rooms of the .Senate 
restaurant. I invited a little party. Hale was there and 
IJIaeklmrn and half a dozen others. l'i.i'."\iB was invited, lint 
lie was very busy that afternoon and did not get there until we 
had reached crackers and collee. W hen I'UMli arrived Crane 
at once devoted his attention to I'limi!. The two got away 
from the rest of the iiarty and sat lor a long time at a little 
side table. After that Crane came into the Senate chamber 



Editorial Notices. -'51 

every "lay while lie remained in Waslii)ij;tou ami sat tlieic with 
his eyes fixed on Tlumi!. i conhl not imagine why he was so 
;;ieatly interested in the gentleman from Kansas. 

'•A week or two after he had first presented his new iday I 
saw Crane at the Star theater, New York. I sat and watched 
the first act and then went behind. 'Billy,' I said, ' I. see now 
why yon were studyinji' Tlumb so elosely.' He lan.gheil and 
liointed to his mirror. Jnst above it was nailed a hu\<;e portrait 
of Senator PiAMii. 

"The first time Crane prodneed -The Senator' in Wash- 
ington he said that he would nmeh like to meet Plitmb again, 
and I told him that 1 would see if 1 could arrange it. I did 
not know how PLtniB would feel about it. All the critics had 
at once recognized Plumb in Crane's Senator, and there had 
been a great deal of newspaper gossip about it. I went to 
Plumb, however, and asked him if he would accept an invita- 
tion to a dinner party to meet Crane again. He said that he 
would be delighted to do so, and so I gave the party. The 
dinner was served in the room of the Committee on Naval Af- 
fairs and there was a pleasant crowd present. In its way I 
think that it was one of the most nniqne dinner parties ever 
given. As host I, of conrse, sat at the head of the table. 
PLU3IB was on my right and Crane upon my left. It was one 
of Plumb's playdays. He was in great spirits. He had to 
leave the table once to nuike a motion on the floor, but it was 
not a busy day with him and he gave tip the whole afternoon 
to the dinner. Crane, as every one knows, is one of the fine, 
old-class, stage gentlemen, and a most entertaining entertainer. 
He told his stories as no one else can tell them, aiul so much 
had he entered into the spirit of his character of the Seimtor 
that he punctuated all his stories with unmistakable Plumb 
gestures. Everyone at the tabh> noticed it and enjoyed it 
hugely, no one so much, however, as Plumb. He watched 



32 Lift- and CItaracicr of Preston />. Plumb. 

Crane with roars of laujrlitiT. Not a motion of the aotor es- 
capeil him. • Gooil,' he would exckiini, as Crane tlitl sciniethiMg 
chara<'teristic of PLr>rB. Crane, getting iuto the spirit of it, 
acteil the Senator at the cliuuer table as i>erfectly as he ever 
actetl it ai)on the boards. 

"Then I'LUMU would tell a story. It was his storytelling 
day. When PiAiMii began to talk then Crane watched PusiB 
even more elosely than Pl.Uinj watched Crane. !■> eiy now 
and then Pli"5II5 would notice it. and. pausing in his story, 
would exclaim: ' Here, Craue, stop studying me," in a manner 
tliat woidd send the whole iiarty off' into roars of laughter. 

••it was a iiKTry jiarly. I'mn I'i.tmh. 

'■ Seriously, Pi.timh said before we left the table that lie 
wished it understood that he took no often.se at Crane's plac- 
ing his ciiaracteri.sties ui)on the stage. The play, he said, 
was a good one and mie with a liij;li iimral, and the actor 
was a man whom he was i)roud to call his fiiend. 

" As ' The Senator ' Crane does not attemj)! to make uii as 
Plt'MB, altliough he wears tlie same style of beard Pi.t'MH 
always wore, but he tried tn mold cxitn characteristic of his 
Senatoi- to correspond to those of the man from Kansas. .Vt 
first he api)eared in tlie last act wearing a silk hat. Imt I re 
marked once tliat I never saw Plumij wear a high hat in my 
life. an<l that night lie put the higli iial aside. 1 sjioivc to him 
once ot how Pi.fMH used his iiandkei'chief while sjieaking, 
and after that Crane niop])ed his tace in the old way so famil- 
iar to all of Plumu's friends. 

'•Crane aud Plvmb afterward became great iriends ;in<l 
never missed a chance to get together, and. now tiial l'i,r:^ii! 
is dead. I woiidei' what liilly is goiugtodo with ''llic Senator.''" 



Editorial Notices. 33 



A CLOSE observer's DESCRIPTION. 

[Mr. W, B. Slivi-iis. in Ilif St. Louis Glolie-Demncr.il.] 

Senator Plumh was the most ai'ccssible man in public life. 
Yon ranji' tlie bell at the house on Fouiteentli street and asked : 
"Is the Senator in?" The formula of reiily was the same 
every tinu'. The maid who answered the bell glanced at the 
door of the Senator's i)arloi'. If the key was in the lock, she 
nodded. If the key was not in sight, she looked behind the 
door to see if it was hanging on the accustomed nail. If it 
was there she knew tlu- Senator was not in and shook her 
head, if she nodded yon stepped to the Senator's do(n- and 
knocked. A genuine Western -Gome in!" tbllowed. Aud 
that was the whole ceremony of admission to Senator Plumb's 
presence. Xobody ever sent in a card a second time. If the 
Senator was "in" he was in to everybody. If lie was "out" 
he was out in fact. For business or begging, for social call or 
curiosity, the latchstring hung on the outside. 

When you stepped within you faced the rear elevation of 
a desk. This desk stood in the center of the room. Above it 
a rack of pigeonholes rose halfway to the chandelier. On top 
of the pigeonholes were papers. Somebody was behind the 
desk and the pigeoidH)les. As the door closed behind you the 
Senator laised his head Just high enough to see over the top of 
the rack, greeted you by name, said "Sit down," aud then 
dropped his face to the pile of letters again. The picture of 
that face over the top of the desk will come l«ick to many who 
had the common experience of those who called at Senator 
Pumb's room. The Senator had a way of dropping the lower 
jaw as he threw his head back, and there was a look of inrpiir- 
Ing expectancy on his face. 

S. Mis. 2l*S .S 



34 Life and Character of Preston Ji. P/iinib. 

Around the ctl^^es ol' the iodiu wert' ])];iiiily upliolsteicil 
i-liaiis anil solas. Tlu'V were always nioii' or less ofLiii)ie(l. 
SouH'lxKly was ever waiting to see the Senator. From one to 
liall a dozen (icojile had business willi liiin. A revolving book- 
ease in a corner was packfcl full of volumes. There were letter 
tiles on the mantelpiece, newspapers on the floor, and a large 
print of Gladstone on the wall. 

The Senator's inetlKuls of work r<'ndered this accessibility 
possibh'. lie could not have made himself so utterly free to 
all callers if he had been in the habit of doing one thing at a 
time. He did two, three, and four things at one time. Often 
and often he sat dictating letters to his stenographer, glancing 
over newsi)apers, and transacting business with callers. Was 
it any wonder that the tissue of the cells of the brain gAve way 
under that kind of mental strain .' There was no ordinary 
stenograplier who could keep up with him. so he would dictate 
three or four sentences like a flash, turn in conversation for ten 
or fifteen seconds to his visitor and at the same time keej) ou 
openuig and scanning uewsi)apers. And here was the remark- 
able thing about his mind's operation. In the gaps between 
dictation he carrietl the thread of what he wanted to say in the 
letter. He carried the thread of conversation at the same 
time. rerhai)s tlic latest remark of the visitiu- was made after 
the Senator had resumed dictation. The trained ear and Ini.sy 
mind caujilit it. Wiien the dictation stopped the Senator went 
right on with the con\ersation. lie did not repeat to his ste- 
nographer. He did not ask his visitor what he had Just said. 
And the ojieniug and reading of newspapers continued. The 
mind had triple caiiacity seemingly. This statement nuiy be 
called incredible. Those who knew the Senator will verify it. 
Mr. I'Li Dili's fellow Senatius often remarked \\\nn\ tills jit-culiar 
faculty or activity of mind. It «as this which enabled him to 
carry so long -'as much work as six men could iia\e done ami 



luUtorial Notices. :15 

Id-csiTVc tln'ir lives," III (|n(.ic tlic wdids .iC Si-iiaini .Mjiiidcrson. 
Of \ii|iolf(iii \\w liisfoiiaiis say lie could ica<l witii mic eve and 
write with the .idicr: that is, he cdiiid caiiy Iwo train- (if 
tlu.iiglit in liis tiiiiid at tlic same time. This cxtraordinarv 
faculty Senator Pi.tMU possessed. Often lie arose to address 
tlie Senate and as lie did so would jiiek uj) from tlie desk in 
front of him paper after paper. The casual oliserver tliou.i;hi 
tliese were notes of what tlie Senator wanted to .say. Thev 
were not. They were the letters of the morning's mail which 
lie had -athered up and brouiilit into the Senate chamber with 
hull. He was actually addressiiii;- the Senate and at the same 
time .u'oing thioii^h his correspondence. 

He took a thousand periodicals, and he bouylit more books 
than any other member of the Senate. Most of the jieriod- 
icals were weekly jjapers. For the purchase of books he had a 
peculiar arrangement which he explained not long- ago. One 
of the largest book-dealing houses in Xew York sent him 
monthly, or oftener. a descriptive ILst of everything received 
in stock since the Ibrmer report. On this list the Senator 
checked all that aroused his interest. The list was returned 
to the dealer and the box of books came. It was seldom that 
the Senator's room did not contain one of these monthly or 
fortnightly consignments ot the latest volumes. He went 
through the books in the same steam-enginelike way he did 
everything. 

Senator rLUMU answered over .Kt.ood letters a year. Sen- 
ator Manderson says: "A jiuy would probably tind that Sena 
tor Plumb was killed by his correspondents." While Congress 
was in session ^Ir. Tlumb's letter mail never dro](ped be- 
low 100 a day and often it reached 200 a day. And all let 
ters were answered. There are public men who hav.- litho- 
graphed forms to meet ordinary demands of correspondents. 
They receive a letter and reply with one of these forms. Tell 



:^6 Life a)ui Character of IVcsloii li. Plumb. 

iiitr the corrfsiiiiiitii-iit liis •■ ict|iiest \vill n-cci\c (lucatteiitimi." 
Tliis was not tlickiml nf trfiitiiR-iit Sfii:it(ir Pi.UMH <;avo. He 
was iiitfnsi-ly ami lioncstly inactical. Wln-ii aiivbtxly wrnte 

asking liiiii t"i ilo s 'tliiiij; lu- tried lo (In it it' it was williin 

the range ut' pnilia'iif ;ii(()iiii)lisliiiient. Tlie Senator liad let- 
ters tVoni pension aii]ili( ants, letters liom homesteaders, letters 
fioui fanners who wanted seeds, from jteople who had sutVeied 
from Indian iaid>. litters from those who wanted ai)i(oint 
ments. I'.esides all of these classes whom he tried to serve he 
was in correspondenee with i)eople all over the country who 
wanted to exchange ideas. To this latter kind of correspoml- 
eiice he gave a great deal of time, for it was a cardinal iirinci- 
ple with him to kee]) track of public sentinu-nt. That was one 
reason why he receive<l and read every Republican paper and 
and most of the other papers published in the State of Kan- 
sas. He could go through these news])ai)ers w itli the practiced 
hand anil eye of an old newspaiier man, but he saw all that lie 
wanted to see in every one of them. These newspai>ers were 
not taken to his committee room to l)e run over by a i)rivate 
secretary who might call the Senator's attention to what he 
thought interesting to him. To the day of hisdeath the\ went 
to the Seimtor's rooms to be handled by him alom\ 

'•1 am rei)resenting the peoiile of Kansas. Tiny want 
these things, and they elected nn- to carry out their wishes.'" 
This is what the Senator said one da,\ to some of the j-'.astern 
]!ei)ublicans when they Sought to intluencc him during the 
taritf and silver .struggle in the last Congress. He made it 
his business to be in line w ith the sentiment of his State. He 
hail that |iurposc in niiiiil when he said this wholesale reading 
of his State papers was the best political investment he ever 
made. Kansas is a State where sentiment changes ipiickly. 
The raretied atmosphere sweei)ing down from the Rocky 
:Monntains inspires intellectual activity. Senator I'l.rMB 



Hdilonal Notices. 37 

might be away lor the best part of the year, l)ut this cuustaiit 
contact with Kansas sentiment through the newspapers k('])t 
him in touch with iiis people. He grew strongx'r in tlieir es- 
teem every year. C^)nay used to say, with evident adniiratiim : 
"He is the best politician of us alh He lias got the local polit- 
ical conditions of his State at his lingers" ends all of the time." 

Does any one ask for more detiniteness about the load Sena- 
tor Pm'MB was cairying for hiscoustitueuts? There are pend- 
ing to-day in the Pension Office over (),000 claims for Kansas 
iu various stages of ])rogress, all tiled and pushed by Seuator 
PLr:\ii!. '-Let me see: there was something I wanted to talk 
to yon about," he said one morning as he came out of the Sen- 
ate restaurant ; it was less than a week before he died. As he 
walked slowly toward the Senate barber shop he said: " We 
have got to do something ab<uit this pension business. It is 
going too far. 1 think you could get up an interesting letter 
on the s\ibject. I can furnish you with a lot of material." Au 
iudetinite engagement was made for the near future, but death 
canu' before it was fulfilled. 

Thcie was a conversation of some length on Thursday, the 
day the Seuator went to Philadelphia to consult the specialist. 
Dr. Pepper. Ft related to the candidacy of Ex-(tov. George T. 
Anthony for the Interstate ( 'ommerce conimissi(niership. The 
scene was a typical one for the Senator's room. Air. Plumb 
sat at his tall desk, without any vest aiul without a shirt collar. 
A great gray dressing gown, without ornamentation, plain as 
an army blanket and of not much finer texture, was thrown 
around him. He had not had time to go to breakfast. The 
Iiour was an early one tbr A\"ashington. On the desk was a 
heap t)f typewritten answers to correspondents. Two ladies 
sat waiting in one corner of the room. Private Secretary Flen- 
nikcn stood behind the Senator, taking memoranda of various 
Department matters to be attended to. ('ol. Manning sat at 



3S fjfc and CItaractcr of Preston />'. Plii»ib. 

the wiiiilow waitiu!,' I'ni' a coiilVreuce on a matter nf business. 
A telegram was shown ti> the Senator. It iiromiiteil liim to 
hiy aside all other matters and enter into a eonlidential eon- 
versatiou. Oidy wlun he was greatly interested did he give 
his mind to a single line of thought. ITe talked for ten or tit- 
teen minutes, going over the matter of ExGov. Anthony's ean- 
didacy anil the opi)osition of Congressman Funston. There 
was no trace of anger in his niauncr. lint in most earnest lan- 
guage the .Senator exi)ressed his regret that such ])ersoiial dif- 
ferences had occurred. He told how a State's influence was 
crijuiled at AYashington when representative men of the ]iarty 
fell out, as in this case. He described the effect of Mr. I'uns 
ton's hostility toward Anthony at the White House. The ques- 
tion was not as to the truth of what Funston had charged. 
The fact that he had gone to the I'residenf and had |)rotested 
showed tlie lack of liarniony in Kansas anil ])roMi]iIeil tlic Pres- 
ident to ignore the State in the matter of this ai)]»ointment. 
The Senator deplored the action of Mr. Funston on tlielatter's 
account. He said that it could notbutluirt tiie l\ei)resentative 
in his district. He could not see howa man could so permit his 
personal resentment to injure himself. 

This talk illustrated a jthase of the Senator's character. 
His intensely practical nature enabled him to see the folly of 
anger, and it was very seldom that his temper got the better 
of liini. There are not many i)eiiplc in Washington who ever 
.saw Scnatoi- IM.imh really angry. 

^Mention has been made of the Senator at worlc al his desk 
before breakfast. That was a common custom witli him. Ijcss 
than a week before lie died lie arose one morning anil ilirlated 
the answers to Id.j letters l>efore breaklast. I'suallx he die 
tati'd his letters to the stenographer in the atternoon. Hut he 
never allowed the tyjiewritten copies to go out nnlil he had 
read and revised everv line. This was the work he most fre 



luUtorial Xoticcs. 39 

((iiC'iilly (lid llie first tliiiii; iil'tci- lie ai'osc in tlir iiKiriiiiii;. Ilr 
read closely (^veiy lettei' l)et'()rt^ it went out iiiid lie sinneil his 
liMlue. Those w lio ieeei\e(l letters lii:iili'(l within the hist three 
or four (la\s before he (lied will notice the difference in tlie 
signature. The once strong, hold hand worked irregularly and 
trenililingly toward the last. The hraiii was failing. 

ExSeiuitor Ingalls made this rather suri)rising remark 
about Mr. 1'LUMb the other day: "Then; was no gush, no 
pathos, no reveries, nor reminiscences, nor retrospeetiou about 
him. He was not by nature or habit a sentimeutalist.'" It 
seems hardly possible that this is a correct quotation of ^Ir. 
Ingalls. There was no man in the Senate who enjoyed reminis 
eeuces more than did Senator Plumb. That was almost the 
only relaxation be gave himself and his enjoyment of it was 
infectious. He would at times throw everything aside and 
talk of the war as he had seen it, of the men he had known, 
of the places he had visited. His narrations were most vivid. 
A few nights ago he leaned back in his chair and for the last 
time told the story of Buck and Uall to Senator Paddock, of 
Nebraska, and another caller. The anniversary of the first 
and only issue of Buck and Ball was at hand. The Senator 
said he was going to celebrate it with a little dinner. "Pad- 
dock,"' he added, "you must be sure to lie there. Don't make 
any other eugagenient for that night.'' 

Pltmb's regiment — he was then major — the I'^leventh Kan- 
sas, had gone down into Arkansas for its baptism of tire. It car- 
ried a great 72caliber weapon, which was loaded with a feartiil 
charge of •' l)uck and ball." Tom Ewiug, the colonel, used to in- 
sist that his command ought to be classed as "light artillery." 
Plumb said that when the Eleventh went out for target prac- 
tice people moved over into the next county. At Cane Hill, 
hidden away in a log cabin on the outskirts of the village, the 
Eleventh found what was lett of a country newspaper outlit. 



40 Life and Cluxractcr of Preston J3. Plnnib. 

It Iiad bet-n iimvcd from Talik-ciiiali, tlie Cherokee rapital, and 
soiiif 111' till' letters were tlie ("lierokee characters. Tlie tyi)e 
was soattereil in ilie dirt ami the press was in fragments. 
I'Ll'MB, Koss, (who voted against the impeachment of Andrew 
.Johnson I. and 8. J. Crawford (afterwards governor of Kansas) 
were among the })rinters in tlie Eleventh. Thi-y gathered up 
the type, sorted it. and in the rest which followed the live days' 
i-unning tight they inocceded to get out a iiewsi)aper. 

"Oiu- of our lirst difliculties," said the Senator, as he told the 
story to the two listeners, "was to get enough big letters for 
the title. The boys who had been ahead of us had pickeil out 
the Job tyi)e for initial letters and liail carric(l them oil'. We 
chose the nanu- of the paper to confoi m to our scanty stock of 
big type. The exigency of the font rather than the appropri- 
ateness suggested Buck and Hall. Short as it was we needed 
a letter or two. Crawford or Hoss or somebody else whittled 
out the substitutes from a sticl;. N\"c did not capitalize in all 
cases where it was needed and we used italics in the middle of 
words. It wasn't because we didn"! know better. Welinally 
got together enough tyi>e of various kinds to set up a six col- 
umn Ibrni. \\\ I he tinietliat was ready the old press had been 
tinkered into siiape to run. The next thing was white i)aper. 
.Some of the l)oys in another command had got hohl of a lot of 
(luarti-rmaster blanks. These we traded for, agreeing to give 
om- i)rinted sheet for so many blank sheets. A few rolls of 
wall i)aper helped out. Alltogether we managed to get the 
paper to print \.7AV.\ copies ou one side, .lust as we were run- 
ning off the last sheets word came that Hindman wasajiproach- 
ing. We dniiijicd e\-erythiiig right there and went into bat- 
tle." 

The Senator told of the tighting which ensued. In the 
movement of tlie troojis Cane Hill was temiioraril\ evacuated. 
As his men fell back through the village Maj. l'l.l■^II! could 



Editorial Soliccs. 41 

not resist tlic t<'iii|il;iti(>ii tn li;i vc <iiic moic look ;it liis l('iii])()- 
rary iiriiitiii<;' iitlicc. 'I'licre lay the form and Ilir picss and 
lialf-iiriutcd edition oT r>nci< and Kail, ll seemed too had to 
lose all tliat trouide. 

•• I hastily rolled the iiapeis np in a bundle," said llie Sen- 
ator, "tied a cord around them, and earried the liundle to the 
door. Tile last and)nlaiice was Just lieinj; (liiven oH'. I hailed 
it, threw the Inmdle into the rear end of the \\ai;on. and saw 
the team dash uji the hill and away. I joined my men and we 
went in another direerioii. The next day we fouj;ht tlie liattle 
of I'rairie Grove, and two days afterwards we had oui- hands 
full with the wounded. The tldrd day I went in search of my 
papers. The l)uudle was all ri^ht. Soon after nc rt'oeeupied 
Cane Hill. Onee more we gathered u]> the type from the dirt, 
where the (Confederates had scattered it, put the old ram- 
shackle ijress together, set u]) the other side of the pai)er, 
and jirinted an account of the battle of Prairie Grove. The 
paper was dated the (ith. The battle of Prairie Grove didn't 
eome off until the 7th, and that is how the discrepancy oc- 
curred. We got out and distributed the K.'idO copies of Buck 
and Ball. Our motto was: • Kansas is Pisen to the Mull on 
"Em.' We got that sentiment from a long-legged fellow who 
enlisted in the Eleventh as we passed through northern Ar- 
kansas, and who had an intense a<lniiration for the way in 
which we invaded his State."' 

A man lay in a dazed condition in a Lea<lville boarding- 
house. It was during the rush for fortunes, when th.it I'ity 
was only a miinng camp. Monntain i)m'umoniai caught its 
victims and carried them over the divide like a whifl'. This 
man's condition was that critical stage when a few hours' 
continuance at 1.100 I'eet altitude meant jmeumonia and death. 
PLt':MB, \\ho was fortune seeking in the camp, heard of the 
sick man. Twentvtive vears before the two had been friends 



\'2 Life and Characttr of Presloti />'. Plumb. 

iiiiil linsiiics> :iss((ci;itcs ill Kiiiisas. Twenty yt'ius licHuc they 
had (lirten-d and iniani'led. Tlii-y liad not sijokt-n to carli 
other in all that intorini, though their paths had crossed and 
recrossed. l'fihai)s hard words had hci-n spoken to nniiual 
friends. Into the sick man's room at early morning came 
I'H'MB, witliont a word of jirevious intimation to pave the 
way. •■Von must get ont of this." he said, after a look. A 
couple of Irours later, the sick man. wrapiicd in Mankets, was 
lifted down stairs and into a four-hor.m' anilmlance, which was 
wtu'tli nione.v in those days. Over and down the mountain 
went the outtit to Talk City, then the terminus of the rail 
roa<l. liie sicl; man was lit'ted iiitn a special car. I'Ll'MB 
was still by his side. He did not leave liim until he saw him 
in a hotel in Denver and in the hands of people wlio would 
nurse him through. Then, with a '"You'll he all right now," 
he was off. The two did nut meet again for years. But the 
.story explains why, on Sunday night, Kichard .1. Iliiiton 
walked the streets of Washington weeping like a cliilil. Tlie 
news of Senator Plumh's death had just reached him. 

"A strong man was PlUjVIH," said lie wliose life had lieeii 
saved as described, and his voice shook with emotion, •' in all 
senses and w;iys except taking care of himself. Re gave gen- 
erously of liis vital forces and never balanced the spending. 
It was his ambition to serve well, and as lie was conscious of 
aliility to do so on a generous scale he was ambitious of ;i 
large i)Iace. Incb-ra i)rus(|ue. but lu-ver a riide exterior, he 
veiled one of the kindest of dispositions. He was a man of 
sim])le courage; lie nexfr could have known how to avoid or 
evade a danger <ir duty. pli,\ sical or mental. Nn man dcspiseil 
mere conventionalism more than he did. and so he was at wai' 
with the liction tlial the I'nited States Senate is the finest 
ot' clubs. He made it a Ibrcefnl arena and always held it in 
liiiiiiir as a lofty forum. He was a man Tiot afraid of his \alct. 



Ediloriixl S^oliccs. 43 

I'm iir iicxcr (Ircaincd dC bciiii; :i luTn. He (iiily stiuvc to l>r 
a lully tM|iiij>iicil, lioiM'st workinan. tlir noblest limiuiii in oiii 
daily lil'f. I lia<l iiotic('(l in liiin of latr a niildci' jiiduiiiciit ; 
k'ss ol' tlu' IJersei'ki'i', a liioio genial halancint;' ot" will and 
action." 

Sonatof Vltimi? liad a ciocd. lie did not lu'lifvc iinu-li in 
saints and lie fonnd some j^ood in all sinners. One time, 
when tlieie was a \\a\e .if deniHiciatioii aii'ainst the jNIormoiis 
sweepiii.i; o\fi' the eonnti>' and itromptiiig the ino.st se\ cie 
IcLlislation, the Senatoi- told a stoiy. After the war closed, 
I'l-UMi! ami the I'lleveiith ('a\alry were sent out to tight 
Inditnis on the plains. They continued at this service uutil 
they were almost the last \dluiiteer troops to be mustered out. 
While thus engaged they camped one night not far from a 
ban<l of Mormon con\erts on their way to Salt Lake. The 
soldiers learned that smallpox had broken out iu the Mormon 
cara\au; that the j^'oide had remained in camp some days. 
There was a suspicion that the party might be iu some dis- 
tress. Plitmi! h'ft his soldiers ami went down to the Mor- 
mons, lie met an elder in charge of the converts. After 
he had looked at the sick and had arranged to sujiply their 
immediate necessities, Plumb entered into eou\ersatiou with 
the elder. 

"1 found him." he .said, "a i>lain, simple man. ami I drew 
him out. I got him into (Hinversation about Ins leligioii, about 
the motives which i)rompted him to go on a mission to these 
peo])le, to labor with them, and to start with them across the 
jdains for Salt Lake, We sat there talking well into the night. 
I tinally left the elder, satisfied in my mind that his motives 
were i)ure and good and that he was honestly trying, in his 
own way and according to his own light, to do the best he 
coiUd fill- humanity. That was the first timi' I had ever had an 
opiiorttinify to sfuily these jieculiar peojile. 1 maile the most 



4 1 Life and Cliaractcr of Pnstoti B. J^liiinb. 

"fit; ami ever since liu-ii, while (■(indeuiiiinn some of their 
ln-iK-tiees — as all of us must — 1 have felt that they were at least 
entitled to tie credited with a I'crtain honesty of purpose." 

Ml. ln,L;alls must lie mistaken in another respect. Nobody 
who witnessed the evident pleasure with which Senator TLfMii 
jrreeted a friend he had not seen for twenty years would say 
he was without .sentiment. And the nundx-r of these old ac- 
i|uaintanees who hunted up the Senator was fnither pionf tliat 
he was not cold-hhioded. In his busiest hours the Senator 
welcomed the partners of his pioneer days. He would leave 
the conijiany of fellow Senators under almost any cinum 
stam-es to ■•ha\c a talk with a man I haven't seen since 
the war." Be used to say to those old friends that it felt real 
pjod to "seethem ami rub noses awhile." One nioniingr helaid 
down a li-tter with an eia<'ulatiou of pleasure, and tuiiiingtold 
tliis stoiy: '-In 1S.")7. before we had a postollice at Eiujjoria, 
we used to leave messages iu the cleft of a tree at the ford of 
the Neosho above town. A letter left tlieie would in time 
reach the person to wiiom ir was addressed, for everybody 
crossed at that ford and Imiked in the cleft of the tree. One 
day I tbnnd a note there for me. It was from a man who had 
left it to inform me he was tired of Kansas and was going 
liack home. From that ilay to this 1 have never heard from 
him. I didn't know ln' was living until this morning 1 received 
this letter from him in Oregon.'' Then the Senator smiled. le- 
read the letter, and put it away. 

The world knows the story of how the marks of the small- 
l)ox came ujton the Senator's face. He went, when no one else 
would, to the rescue ol' a poor homesteader « Im was dying in 
his claim shanty on tlie Kansas ]irairie thirty live years ago. 
But the world does not know that this Senator who had no 
"jjathos" in his nature spent every year in m-ver-iiaraded char- 
ity twice ihe amount of his seinit<irial salar\. \\hen the peo- 



Editorial Koticrs. 



4r. 



pie with whom tlic Senator lived imt tliiii.us in (.nl.T a couple 
of days ajio, after the Iuih ral, they found in a drawer a buii- 
<lle ..f croehet work for the holidays. They were inystifuMl at 
first. Then they reinembered that they had seen an old lady 
at the door with a basket of these articdes tryin.u to sell si.nie 
of her handiwork. They remembered that on that sanu' morn- 
inj;- the Senator had come to them and S(>f '» quantity of 
ehanse. Hince then the old lady has eoni.' a,<;ain, and she has 
told of her talk with the kind Senator and of his promise to 
buy all the croehet work she could make njito Christmas time. 
There was another discovery which brou.cht moisture to 
the eyes. In the Senator's room, after the removal of the le- 
niains, was lonnd a eollecton of holiday presents. The Sena- 
tor had planned to have Lis s<m come down from school in 
Pennsylvania to spend the holidays with him, and he had 
found time in the midst of his public eugasements to lay iu a 
stock of siu'prises. Can a man who loved all children, as Sen- 
ator Plumb did, be said to have no " pathos," no "sentimental- 
ism ?" He did nuxeli of the work which came to him from the 
pure enjoyment it gave liim to be helpful to others and with- 
out seltishness of motive. It was particularly a pleasure to 
him to see young men get along well. And he despised thor- 
oughly anything which savored of cynicism. If there was one 
thing more than another which aroused the Senator's combat- 
iveuess, it was when somebody who had soured on the world 
began to talk in a f;iult-ti;iding, scornful, contemptuous way. 
He would let out on such a visitor with a vigor which was in 

teresting to hear. 

The gentleness and tenderness toward the invalid wife 
were beautiful. The Senator was of powerful mold. He had 
biceps like a blacksmith's. Sometimes when he went out in a 
hurry he slammed the door so that it could be heard from base- 
ment to attic. But in the presence of the frail wife and 



46 Life and C/iarnc/t r o/ Pristoii />'. Plumb. 

iiiotlier tlie jrifat stmnj,' man was another cliaiactcr. Ilis 
voice took on a tone luinsual to tliosp who only knew him in 
pnblic life. Ilis movenu'nts were snbchied and his manner in- 
describably (h'lieate. His mental stienj,'th was known of all 
men. The ^ioodness of his charaeter was nut worn upon his 
sleeve. 



MAXTFESTATIOXS OF SORROW IN TOI'KKA. 

The funeral train pas.sed from Washington to I^mporia by 
way of the Pennsylvania, Missonii I'acitie, and Atehison, 
Topeka and Santa Fe lines. Along the route everywhere were 
manifestations of love and respect for the dead. At Kansas 
<'ity the governor of Kansas anil a large number of Slate 
otlicers and other distinguished citizens met the funeral train, 
which was at once attached to a sjiecial train on the Santa Fe 
provided by Hon. Cleorgc It. I'c(•]^. .Vt Lawrence an immense 
throng had gathered at the station, a special demonstration 
being made Ity the Grand .Viiiiy posts of the city. 

Long before 1(» o'clock a. m., December 23, the hour at 
which the funeral train was expected to arrive in Topeka. the 
streets along tlie line of manli of the funcial cortege were 
lincil with men. women, and children, eager to obtain a view of 
the solemn procession. lUisincss houses on Kansas a\('nue 
were draped in mournini; and many of them weic closed in 
res])ect for the honored dead. Tlic ]iublic schools were dis- 
missed, and the children tlocked lo the Statchonsc and soon 
crowded thestepsand tilled the halls and corridors. Incoming 
trains brought large numbers of peoi)le fromsurroundingtowns, 
who Idled the hotel lobbies and heli)ed t<j swell the crowds on 
the streets. A feeling of profound grief seemed to iiei\adi- 
the community. 



Ccrciiionics lu Top( ka. 17 

Wlifii it was liMinrd that tlic riiiicial train was late, the 
ciiiwd, ratlin- than take any clianci' of missing' the opin)r- 
tuiiity (if witrn'ssiiij;- the procession, lichl its position ou the 
street. The number steadily increased, until at noon it was 
next to impossible to move alony the densely j>acked walks. 
It was 1 o"cloek when tiie first gun was tired in the State- 
house S(|uare announein.n' the arrival of the train, and at inter- 
vals of every thirty seconds from that rime until the procession 
had made its slow Journey from the depot to the Statehouse 
the heavy detonation of the cannon was heard. 

After the arrival of the train the procession was formed with 
little delay and the march to the capitol was taken up. 

Col. J. W. F. Hughes, chief marshal, and Chief of Police 
.John Gardiner led the procession as it starteil from the station. 
Following them was a platoon of twelve Topeka, iiolicemen, 
commanded by Sergeant O'Kourke, and eighteen policemen 
from Kansas City, Kans., led by Capt. I'orter. Marshall's 
military band, playing the "Dead ^larch in Saul," followed; 
and next were the Knights Templar, sixty strong and in full 
uniform. The next in line were eighteen veterans, the little 
remnant of Col. Plumb's old regiment, the Eleventh Kansas. 
Following them marched the Royal Arch Masons. Company 
C, of the Kansas National Guard, followed, with arms reversed. 

The honorary pallbearers, lion. F. P. Baker, Judge F. G. 
Adams, Kx Gov. T. A. Osborn. Col. C. K. Holliday, lion. 
George E. Peck, Judge J. B. Johnson, l>r. S. E. Sheldon, and 
Di'. M. O'Brien, were next in line. 

The burial car, drawn by four black horses heavily dra]ied, 
followed. The active pallbearers, eight iu number, marched 
on either side. They were: Hon. J. K. Hudson, MaJ. William 
Sims, Col. Joel Ilnntoon, Judge John ^Martin, Judge John 
Guthrie, Capt. C. :M. Foulks, Fiank P. MacLennan, and S. P. 
Wa.le. 



48 Life and Character of Pres/on li. Plumb. 

Tlio couiiiiiitcc iVuiii the National Conjjfress Iblloweil in car- 
riages. 

Tlic four <;. A. i;. posts of Toipclia niuiciiril in line, with 
Lincoln post No. 1 leadinji. They woe I'dlli.wr.j liy Old Abe 
caiiip. Sons of Veterans. 

The ])rocession was one of the jonjrest ever seen in Topcka, 
and altiioiifili thr ]iartici|iarits marched in close order the 
head of the i)rocessiou had reaeiied Sixtli street hefme tiie 
last carriage left the depot. 

Tiionsaiids gathered about the Statehouse as the procession 
iieared the end of its journey and a dee|i silence fell over the 
vast crowd as the i)allbearers witli gentle liands bore the 
casket u]) the steps of the cajiitol Imilding into tiie senate 
chamber. Toi)eka coininandery Knights Temi)lar hail i)re- 
ceded them and as the jiallbearers a))iieared witii tlieir burden 

the knights were drawn uj) in two eolunins ither side of 

the catafalque upon which flic casket was dej)osited. The 
pallbearers took a ])artiiig view of the dead and passed out the 
near exit. Tlie committees of Senators and Representatives 
])assed through tiie ehand)er and after a short rest were con- 
veyed to their hotel. The ])ublic was then ailmitted to the 
senate chamber and it is estimated that fully l."),U(i(i ])cople 
cast a i)arting glance at the dead Senators face during the 
three hours following. 

AVlien the time arrived to continue the mournful Journey to 
-Mr. I'Lt'MH's old iinme niany thousands more massed about 
the entrances to tlie senate chamber and in the grounds sur- 
riiuniiing the capilol. At ."> o'clock Ilic <askct was returneil 
to the special Santa Fe train, accompanied by the ])rocession, 
which re-formed in its origiiml order and marched .soleniidy 
back to the railway station. The casket having been re|)laced 
in the funeral car the tiain resumed its journey. 



Ol)ii-(jiius at Emporia. 4!) 



OBSEQUIES AT EMPORIA. 

Tlie siu'cial train arrived in Emporia at 0:50 o'clock, Decem- 
ber 2.'). The hearse was phiced at the northwest corner of the 
depot and the members of the G. A. R. in Enijjoria formed 
ill double lines from the hearse to the car containing the re- 
mains. Company E, Kansas National Guard, was also formed 
on the platform. 

Tlie (i. A. R. members and old soldiers, under command of 
F. S. Domm, numbered three hundred, which, with Company 
E and the citizens and a committee from the Knights Templar, 
made fully three thousand people at the depot. A detail of 
the survivors of Col. Plitmb's old rej;imeut, the Eleventh Kan- 
sas, in charge of Lieut. VV. V. Phillips, was made up as fol 
lows : Messrs. John Logan, Noah Gibson, John Ferren, Thomas 
Barber, B. F. Parker, Chris. Wise, J. G. Schocck, N. Ryno, J. 
A. Newlin, and Isaac Newall. Tliese ten men were the only 
members of Col. Plumb's regiment residing in Lyon ('(mnty. 
The remaining- snr\ivors arrived later. 

Tin- procession was then formed, under the direction of Chief 
Marshal Col. J. M. Steele, in the following m-der: 

G. A. R. Department Commander T. McCarthy and staff, 
constituted as follows: A. R. Greene, senior vice-commauder; 
J. L. Spencer, junior vice-commander; A. B. Campbell, ad- 
jutant-general; Henry Bootli, quartermaster-general; G. F. 
Little, judgeadvocate-geueral; N. E. Harmon, department 
chaplain; T. B. Gerow, chief of staff; and also A. Reynolds 
and R. H. Campbell, members of the council of administration. 
J. P. Worrell, of Larned, was the color-bearer. Then came 
S. Mis. 228 4 



50 Life and Character of Preston B. Plumb. 

tln' hfarsf. drawn l)y two white horses, with ]iostillioiis at tlicir 
beads. The j;iiaiil of iioiior and detail from tlie Kh-veiith 
Kansas, as mentioned above, walked on either side of the 
hearse, whieh was followed by Mayor Biddle, D. W. Eastman, 
J. M. Crillith. Dr. Jacobs, ,1. L. W. Bell, T. H. MeMillan, and 
Samuel Emmons. Next eame carriages coutaining the .Sen- 
atorial committee, the House committee, aud other otiicials. 
Following tlie carriages eame the three huiulred (Iraud Army 
of the lU'imblic members and old soldiers. Then came Com- 
pany E, Kansas National (iuard, under command of Cai)t. W. 
P. Wilcox, followed by citizens in carriages and on foot. 

Oti reaching the family resi(h'nce the ciiief marshal and stall" 
and veterans formed lines on either side of the walk leading 
to the south door of the house. The detail of survivors then 
carried tlie remains of their conn-ade to the entrance and de- 
posited the casket in the liall, wlicic the face of the dead 
Senator was uncovered to enable his sorrowing friends and 
comrades to look ui)on the features now composed in death. 
As the memliers of tlie Eleventh Kansas looked into the calm 
and <niiet face, liot tears came unbidden from their eyes. 
Slowly and reverently the friends departeil, leaving the re- 
mains at the house under a guard detailed from the Grand 
Army of the lJei)ubIic. This detail was com)>osed chietly of 
the survivors of Col. I'LUMn's regiment, who. tliough in many 
cases advanced in years or broken in health. bi>gged the privi- 
lege of being assigned to this duty, and all night long did as 
soldiers do, regardless of the bitter winter weather. One of 
these brave old soldiers was asked late at niglit if he would 
not like to be relievc<l. "No," he said, '-tliere wmihl be no 
trouble about getting relieved. All the boys want to come."' 
Another, .Mr. Evan Davis, who had been an immediate attache 
of Col. Plumb through the war. led the Senator's horse in the 
procession, and was ix-rmilled, at his urgent request, to do all 



0/j.''('//iu's at Einpuria. 51 

the masonry work in i)r('i>ariiii;- the uravc. Every ohl associ- 
ate oi' tlie Senator's iu the hard years of the war and before 
seemed t() mourn as for tlie loss of a brother. Samnel Mid(Ue- 
ton, the Henator's valet in Washin.i;tou, was iuconsohible. In 
short, those who knew liim most cdosely monrned him most 
deeply. 

The private funeral services at tlie fanuly home bes^an a few 
moments after 1(1 (j'eloek I)eceml)er 1.'4. The casket was snr- 
ronnded by beautiful floral offerings. On one siile of it was 
an elaborate Uoral ladder. The uppermost round of the ladder 
was surmounted by two white doves, their wings exteuded as 
if iioveriiii;- ovei' the spirit of the depaited. The father and 
family of the deceased, with the families of George and A. W. 
Plumb, brothers of the late Senator, were seated in this par- 
lor. The intimate friends and Senatorial commiutees were in 
the i)ailor adjoining on the north. The hall was also occu- 
pied by friends. The ministers were seated at the doors 
separating the two parlors. The choir, consisting of Mes- 
dames Charles Harris and .1. C. Penny and Messrs. T. H. 
Lewis and Charles Fletcher, sang the opening hymn, which 
was followed by the scripture lesson read by Eev. S. A. Norton, 
pastor of the First Congregational Church of Emporia. 

Rev. Richard Cordley, of Lawrence, then made a short 
address, iu which he dwelt upon the li>ss sustained by the 
nation. State, county, city, and particularly the family, in the 
death of one who had so endeared himself to the people he 
represented. Special refereni'e was made to the sterling 
worth, ability, and energy of the deceased. The one spot 
dearest to him was his home, and to the family the blow comes 
with redoubled force. Friends sympathize deeply, but can. 
not allay the grief. Dr. Cordley closed his touching and elo- 
quent remarks by ctjmmending the spirit of the deceased to 



52 Life and Character of Preston B. Plumb. 

the Heavi'uly Father and the nieuibers of the family to the 
provideuce i«f (led. The choir then sang: "Jesus, Lover of My 
Soul." Dr. Cordley followed in a l)rief but heartfelt prayer. 
The choir then san^' ••.Vl)ide With Me," and the services were 
over. Till- luriains were then drawn in the parlors and the 
relatives were left alone with the dead. 

Outside the house a vast throng was con}ire<:ated. Forty 
inend)ers of the Knights Templar iu uuiform. tiuder eomnuuid 
of ( '. W. Cleaver, were formed in line on either side of the walk 
from the .south entrance to The curbing. The pallbearers 
i-onveyed the remains to tlie hear.se. whi(di was drawn by lour 
black hor.ses, all draped with heavy black nettings. The wlieels 
were made solid in black crape ami the body of the hearse was 
covered with drai>ings of black and white crape. The proces- 
sion was formed under the direction of Chief Marshal Col. .1. 
M. Steele ami Chief Aide E. F. Sprague. and reached to the 
Fir.st Congregational ''hiuvh, tlie baud jilayiiig a magnilicent 
funeral nundjer. 

.\t the church the remains were given a position near the 
the altar. As the i)allbearers and Congressional conunittee 
marched into the church with the remains the organLst, Prof. 
Will Davis, played a solemn dirge. 

The remains were deposited in front of the altar and there 
formally d<-livered to the Knights Templar. They at once took 
charge and the sorrowing throng were permitted to take a linal 
I.iuk at tiie face so familiar to them, but now composed in the 
sleej) of death. Fiom 11 until '1 o'clock the remains were 
kept in state and tlmnsaiuls of peoi)le from the city, Lyon 
County, and all parts of the Slate |)asscd tlirough the clmicli 
and viewed the remains of the citizen, soldier, and statesman. 
While the morning services were going on special trains 
from the various parts of the State brought many visitors to 
the city who came to pay the last sad tributes of respect. 



Ol>s((/ni(S at JCiiiporia. 53 

Over !()(» iiromiuenf citi/.eiis tiaiiif from Wichita, I^O came 
in on tlic Missouri, Kansas and 'I'cxas noon train iVom the 
noitli, and a i;rcat('i- immhcr came in on a special over tlie 
same road from the sontii. Governor l[uni])hrey and State 
ofliccrs and friends, nunil)erin.n' over L'OO, caim^ in at noon from 
Topeka in a si)ecial train. Tlu' Clrand Army of tlie i;epnl)lic 
posts and the Sons of N'eterans from ilait ford, Reading, Strong 
City, Aniericus, Admire, and nei.^liboriny cities, with otlicr 
visitors, added to the already larj^-e nnmber i)rcscnt, made at 
the least calculation 10,000 visitors in the city. 

Long before the hour apjiointed for the services tlie street 
and sidewalks in the vicinity of the chnrcli were crowded with 
peo])le. At l-Ao Department Commandei- (hand Army of the 
Eei)nblic T. McCarthy and staff marched to the church. 
They were followed liy the members of the (hand Army of the 
Itcpublic and old soldiers, and later by Governor Humphrey 
and staff; also, by Chief Justice Horton, Judge Valentine, 
Su])reme Court Commissioners Simpson, Greeu, and Strang, 
Hon. George T. Anthony, Hon. A. K. Greene, Hon. J. H. Mc- 
Bride, suiierintcndent of insurance, and members of the sen- 
ate and house of representatives. Upon arriving at the 
church the various delegations remained standing while the 
family and relatives were escorted to seats in front of the 
casket. Then the general jmblie was admitted, and in a few 
moments both the main room and lecture room were crowded 
and an immense crowd was congregated about the church and 
grounds. 

The altar and platform were laden with a profusion of Horai 
otferings from various organizations and friends. ( )n the left 
stood an easel festooned with flowers surmounted by an Ameri- 
can eagle. It is impossible to enumerate the various forms of 
olierings and evidences of esteem, as seen in the floi-al tributes. 
Promptly at 2 o'clock llev. John Jones, Rev. Dr. Cordley, Rev. S. 



54 Life and Character of Preston li. Plumb. 

A. Norton, and IJi-v. Hcriianl Ivelly took seats on tlio nistnim 
and the services ojieneil with an anthiMu sung l>y the same 
choir that rendered the music at tiie morning service. Dr. 
Cordley read a scripture lesson, tullnwed l>y the singing of the 
bymn, '• In the Cross of Christ 1 glory." 

Kev. Mr. Norton led in a fervent prayer, after which the 
bymn '"At Evening Time Let There be Light" was suug. Dr. 
Cordley, <>f Lawrence, then delivered the following funeral 
sermon : 

'• The life of Senator PuMH reads like a romance. With only 
a common school education, he learned the printers" trade and 
entered a printiuu otlice in Ohio. At the age of Ls he came to 
Kansas, in 185G. Kansas was then in its beginnings and in 
the throes of the great antislaverj- contest. The next year, 
boy as he was, he helped to organize a town company, which 
laid and fostered what is now one of our most enterprising 
towns, this goodly city of ICmporia. To his wonderful fore- 
siglit and energy Enii)oria largely owes iier remarkable success. 
Without ever having had a full law-school education he com- 
menced the practice of law at the age of 1.'4 and sliowed that 
which would have made him shine in the legal profession. 
Without any military training he became a colonel in the Army 
at the age of -(> and led iiis regiment with skill and credit to 
the end of the war. lie then entered the ])olitical tield. and 
at the age of 29 was .speaker of the house of representatives 
in the Kansas State legislature. In 1S77, at the age of 3Ji, he 
was elected to the rnited States Senate. Thus in twenty 
years a poor boy, without education or fortune or intluential 
fricMids, had risen tn iiirinlifisliip of tijc ablest, most cultured, 
and intluential body in the United States. 

"Tiius far one might say there was nothing s]iecially strange. 
Kansas was a new Commonwealth, just planted on the open 



Obst-qtiics at /iii/poria. 55 

praiiifs. All tiic |ic(i|ilf were iicwcoincrs, as a itiatter of 
cour.se. anil most ol' tlu'iii wcif licuiniicrs in iilc and young- in 
years. Mr. Ph'MR was one with the rest. 

" It was necessary tliat some of these sliouhl ji'o to the front 
and occupy the positions which the cominji' in of a new State 
bad created. In .uoinj;- to thi' Senate he simply came ont from 
amonii' his peers to take a position which some of them must 
take. But when he entered the Senate he became the associate 
of men -to the manner born;' men for whom the best schools 
had doue their best; men whose entire life had been spent 
amid cultured surroundin,i;s and stinnilatiug influences; men 
■who had traveled and seen the world; men of large gifts and 
long experience. The marvelous thing is that in such a body 
this young man from the wild prairies of the west should at 
once step to the front and become one of its most influential 
and honored members. He was felt at once as a man of force, 
aiul every year's ser\ice has increased his power. He won the 
respect and esteem of all parties, and his judgment was sought 
on all sides. Few men in the Senate had larger influence or 
could accomplish more in the councils of that body. So fully 
had he satisfled all classes and so fair had he been in all his 
actions that at the last election to his third term every vote 
cast in both houses of the State legislature was in his favor. 

'•We have not far to look for the secret of his marvelous 
.success. The first element of his power was his clear Jiulicial 
mind. He always comprehendeil th(> situation at a glance. 
The moment a question was stated his mind grasped it and 
leaped to the solution. Whether it were a question of business 
or imblic policy or of social life, he saw the vital point with the 
immediateness of instinct. At a, glance all mists disappeared 
and all entanglements "were unraveled and the solution was 
instantly seized. It is no wonder such a man should be con- 
stantly sought for by those who were puzzled in their afl'airs 



56 Life aud Character of Preston B. Pliiiitb. 

or who were strujrfilin;;- w itli eomiilicuted (juestioiis rliey could 
not solve. 

•'I have walclicil liiiii wlieii he was at lioiiic tor a ilay itr two 
of rest, as lie callcil it. 1 wniilil liiid liini in tlieollice at the 
bank witli a score or so of men waitin}; to see hiiu. Every 
one's ease was ditleicnt. Fiist it was a man wlio liad some 
business to tiansael wiili liiiii; then it wouhl he a man who 
wished to coiisiih iiiiii (111 tlic iiojiiical situation; tlien it wouhl 
be an old soldier wliose j)ension case had liecome tangled up 
in .some way in tlie tlepaitment ; tlien it would be a tale of 
sorrow ealliii}^ for symi)athy: then it would be a ease of want 
calliufr foi" cliarity. So tlicy came to him one after another, 
an<l when these were jione others were waitinj;' their- turn. 
Ue received all with tiie same patient cordiality and listeiu'd 
to each with the same interested attention. When the case 
of each was stated he seemed to grasp it instantly and his 
response always seemed exaetly to meet tlie case. As I have 
watched him thus listeninff ])atient]y to one case after another, 
hour after iiour. all day long, while he was at home •• resting," 
I wondered how long a man could endure a strain like that 
or whether his min<l was so constituted tiiat it was no strain. 

"There was another iptality in Senator I'li'mh's character 
which x^erhaps had more to do with his success than his clear 
and rapid judgment. He always did the thing that came to 
hini and always did it at once. In a s|ieerh lie made here 
years ago, I heard him tell what he considered the secret of 
Emporia's success, and it has occurred to me since that he was 
unconsci(msly telling the secret of his own success. He said: 
'III our early gi'owth here in Emporia we always took in what- 
ever was offered, whether it was Just what we wanted or not. 
Hit was a small thing that offered, we took it. hoiiing it might 
be the first installment of sonu-thing larger. The first rail- 
road that offered itself did not seem to amoiiiit to much. Hut 



0/>s('{//ru\s at /■jiipDn'a. 57 

we took it in, ami then the 8:iiita Ff railway came. \Ve never 
let a small thin.i;- .^ci, liopini^ lor a lari;-er tliin.;;'.' That, I think, 
describes Senator I'H'MI! in the methoils dT his own service. 
He never ne.yieett'd what lay lielorc him, in anticipatiou of 
something larger by and by. Ue was not all the while wait- 
ing for some great 0|>i)ortiinitv or saving himself for some 
great occasion. \Xv never read that Senator 1'htmi! could 
not bo seen by his coustitiieuts because he was i)rei)aring a 
great speech on some national theme. He met each occasion 
as it came, and it mattered not whether the occasion were 
large or small. He did that which came to him and did it at 
once. Anything that concerned his con.stitiieuts concerned 
him and any man that had a case could always get a hearing. 
He was woiking for his constituents all the while, for small and 
great, of all classes and all localities. No old soldier with a 
good case ever went to him anil failed to enlist his sympathy, 
and to enlist his sympathy meant to win, for he made each 
case his own and iiressed it to a conclusion. The disi>atches 
say he had over (i,000 pension cases before the Dei)artmeut. I 
venture the assertion that he knew the nature of e\ery case 
and was personally pressing each one to an issue. 

"I had a frieuil in Lawrence who went into the army. At 
the close of the war he was broken in health. He applied for a 
pension, but on account of missing links in the evidence it was 
delayed for many years. A few years ago the missing evi- 
dence was supplied and a pension was granted him. But 
when granted it was a mere pittance. He was now totally 
disabled. He could just walk aI)out, but Ids Iiml)s were so 
shaken of palsy that he could not even feed himself. He was 
the most complete physical wreck I ever saw. Some three 
years ago he told me his tale and asked me if I could not help 
him to get an increase of pension. He was certainly entitled 
to a full pension if any man ever was entitled to one. His case 



58 Life and Cliaracler of Preston B. Pliinih. 

was clear and liis testimnuy ailiiiitted. r.iit his attorneys at 
AVashington kept making him ei>sts, hut did nut advance his 
ease. It did not seem as if they eared in iiciii liiin. I heard 
the poor oUl sohlier's story witli laiiigh'd pity aii<l iiidiguation. 
I tohl liiin I tlionght I knew a way to reacli liis ease. 1 wrote 
to Senator I'LUMH and hiid tlie ease before him. Ue wrote me 
at once for some facts l)y which lie could identify the ease 
among the thousands ou tile at the depart iiicni. In an incredi 
bly short time 1 met the old soldier, and he told me lie had 
just received an increase to his jiension making it amjile for 
liis need. This is hut one of many eases I have myself per- 
sonally known. I never wrote iiiin unless 1 had a good case 
and 1 never laid a case before him hut he took it uj) at once 
auil pressed it to a successful issue. As Ex-Senator lugalls 
said : ' He wanted results rather than dreams, and eared less 
for distinction and fame Iliaii fur success and power." So 
heartily did he espouse the soldiers' cau.se and so successfully 
did he contend for it that he well deserves to share with Jnhii 
A. Logan the title of the -soldiers' friend. 

■■ It has been said that his marked characteristie wa> his 
capacity for work. But many people have a capacity for work 
and unlimited endurance who yet aeeomplisli little. Mr. 
Pli':mb ratiiei- iiad a marvelous capacity to make his work tell, 
lie always <lid the elfective thing. He could do more things 
and make them all come to time than any man 1 ever knew. 
Ue had the faculty of tindiiig the spring tiiat moveii the whole 
att'air. He would accomplish by the turn of a hand what 
another might worry over for a day. This was his great 
temptation to overwork. A man who can eft'ect .so much every 
time lie moves is desperately tcmpteil to keep moving. When 
with so slight an etl'ort he could ilo so much he could not aft'ord 
to stand still. .Vnd it doubtless was an inspiration to see 
things dispatilied by a timeli so sligiit or a woril so easily 
uttered. 



Obsequies at Emporia. 59 

"Ofliis iifisdiial ri'lijiioiis views 1 do not think lie often spoke, 
lint he \v:is a lirni l)elie\-er in the ('hiistinn laitii and all it 
implied. He always spoke of relif;ious things with the utmost 
respeet and reverenee. I never iieard of iiini siieaking lightly 
of sacred things in any eireiiiustanees or eoni|)any. He he 
lieved in chni-ehes and i-ejoieed in their prosperity and growth. 
When the elders of the -lews wonld eonnnend the centuriim to 
Jesus they gave as evidence of his worthiness that 'he liad 
built them a synagogue.' Ivausas is (h)tted over with ehurehes 
which Senator Pluuib has liel|)ed to liuild. He was called 
upon from all iiarts of the State, and he never refused a call 
from a needy church. It is said that one of the last acts of his 
life was to answer an appeal from a church in western Kan- 
sas. There is not a church in this city \\\\w\\ has lutt received 
largely from his bounty. He was tin- warm friend of Christian 
education. When it was proposed to locate here a Christian 
ci>llege he was among the first to advocate and urge the proj- 
ect. He was one of the earliest friends of the College of 
Emporia and aided it largely b.\ l)oth voice and jiurse. 

"I have in mind two scenes which occurred in this house. 
(Jne was when the house itself was being dedicated. We 
needed a certain amount of money to relieve us from embar- 
rassment. It seemed as if we should fall short. lint an in- 
spiring word from him electrified the audience and changed 
the whole aspect of affairs and the thing was done. The othei- 
scene was at our conununion season one Sunday afternoon. A 
large number were to unite with the church, among them two 
of his own children. He had planned to be at home that day 
and came with them and sat with them during the service. 
The glow of interest which lighted up his face as the vows of 
Christian consecration were uttered is a picture that still 
abides in mj' memory and plainly showed he was not a mere 
spectator. 



60 Lift- ami Character of PrcsloH li. Plumb. 

••Only once was it iiiy ^'ooil ibrtiiiie to iiu-ct liiin \\\w\\ tlic load 
was otV. Two or tliri-e years ago we cliaiiced to liave ap- 
poiiitmeiits ilif same iiij;bt in one uC nur iiitcrior towns. The 
next niorninj;, after liis work was done, lie had to wait tor a 
train In take liini to another plare. NVe were to;;vtlier with a 
few friends while we were waiting-. For that honr In; had all 
the ( liarniiiifj east- of a man that had not a care in the world, 
and, in llu' frci- \\\a\ of his unburdened nund, thoughl and in- 
cident and Inunor made the time pass rapidly and delightfully. 
He was many sided as well as intense and etl'eetive. He 
could ailapt himself to occasions and suit the humor of the 
time, lie liail a inarxfious t'und of information on all practical 
themes and conld throw on any sul)jeet the light of anecdote 
and rare bits of knowledge he had gatliereil here ami there as 
he came along. 

••So it is that his laicer reads like a romance. Without 
sehools he yet became educated; without stopi)ing to ieani. he 
yet absorbed as he moved a'ong a mass of information u iiicli 
made him an authority on all practical topics; witliout traiidng 
in any line of service he ,vet becanu' one of the most ertective of 
men in law, in finani'c, in polities, and in siatesuuinship; with- 
out early ad\'anlages he yet became the peer of men on wliom 
schools and cultured surroundings ami travel ha<l poured 
their richest gifts. 

■■ This is no ordinai'y mourning. All the people mourn, for he 
was emphatically the people's friend. lie was not oul.\' kindly 
disposed towards the ])eo|)le, but he was ont^ of tliein. and he 
kiH'W their burdens and their conllicts and their sorrows. He 
could sympathize, with an intelligent symjiatiiv which l;ii(\v 
its own meaning and understood its own grounds. It was no 
political pretension when he numifestetl his love for the jH-ojile. 
He believed in the people ami he knew their s]»irit and their 
neeils. The people are the mourners to day. Tiiere is all 



O/iscqiiiis at Emporia. 61 

about the sense of a great sorrow and also tlic sense of a 
great loss. As was said of f lie Egyptians as they were nioiuM 
ing for Jae.ob, ' this is a grievous mourning' for the people of 
Kansas. T>rot in the cities and eeiiters aloue, but in the vil 
lages and in the cabins, ■ fai- ont upon the prairie,' there is a 
sense of bereavement and loss. 

" It is very sad to think how many of our greatest men have 
fallen in the prime of life, when the best was yet to be hoped 
of them. What a galaxy of bright names the record of the 
last few years contains, and all striidcen in their prime. And 
Kansas has had her full share of this common sorrow. Even 
after these years no true Kansan t'an think without pain of 
Dudley- Haskell, at the age of 41, ehising a career whose promise 
BO man could measure. And now the man whose practical 
wisdom and untiring energy had lifted him to greatness is cut 
down in the very ripening of his powers. He had come to 
stand for Kansas, the ])roduct and syndxd of her histoiy. 
'■Ad itntrn inr ((speni^ {•im\{\ l)e written of him as of her. We 
bad come to look to him and rely upon him in a rare degree as 
our representatives and our hope. There is a sense of orphanage 
to-day in all the hamlets and homes of Kansas and they will 
remember him and mourn for liim many days. 

"I do not forget, however, that there are nearer circles into 
the sacreduess of whose sorrow I dare only glance. For there 
is not only a bereaved people, but there is also a stricken home. 
No man loved his home more than Mr. Plume. Though he 
■constantly touched so large a circle of intense and living inter 
ests, there was a center to his life where his iutensest interest 
and warmest affections dwelt. His public duties did not allow 
him often to be at home, but his home was his delight and his 
children were his joy and pride. 

"This great sorrow, so wide extended and so universal, has 
its focus at the home. That home is no less stricken because 



62 Life and CItaraclir of Preston B. Plumb. 

the State is also stricken, and its sorrow is uo less keen and 
overwhelniin},' heeanse tlie State also shares it and bears it. 
Idare nm lunltiply winds on a theme so personal and sosaered. 
No human words ean a\'ail in a sorrow so deep. I can only 
eonunend this .stricken household to -the God of all comfort, 
\A'h() comforteth us in all our tribulations.'" 

The sermon concluded. Kev. Bernard Kelly offered a fervent 
prayer. 

The closinjr hymn, '• Lead, Kindly Lifjht," was then sun-r. 
wliich concluded the exercises at the church. 

Mrs. Plumb was not at tlie churdi services, but went with 
the family to the cemetery. 

Here the services were conducted by Hon. T. McCarthy, com- 
mander Department of Kansas, (irand Army of the Republic, 
escorted by Posts ."».") and (til and accom])anied l)y \isiting 
coMiradcs and old soldiers not members of the (irand Army of 
tlic Hepublic in tlie following; order: 

Marshal and staff, mounted. 

Band. 

Kansas National (luanl. 

I)e]>artment commander and staff. 

i'osts of Grand Army of tlie He])ubli(^ and old soldiers. 

Sons of N'eterans. 

Pallbearers in carriajj-cs. 

Hearse, with Eleventh Kansas marcliiug on each side. 

Horse and eciuipments of deceased. 

Family, in carriages. 

Knifrhts Tcmi)lar. 

Senatorial and House committees. 

Governor and staff, in carriajres. 

Visitors and citizens, in carriages. 

As chief marshal. Col. .1. M. Steele was assisted by the 
Ibllowiiit: aids: !■:. F. S])ra,irne. I). W. Fasiman. .1. L. W. 



/\(S<}//t//()//s of Respect. (53 

Bell. J. (I. Traylcir. \V. V. I'liillips, \V. H. Gilcliiist. Cliailcs 
Fletelicr, E. P. ItniuiT, Joseph Ri.kahMUf^li, II. W. Hutfmaii. 
Ill the above order the funeral proeession took up the line 
of march to tlic (■ciiietcry, where the beautiful ritnalistie service 
of the (Irand Aniiy of tlic Kepublie was read by the Depart- 
iiieiir ('oniiiiaiiili-r and the I >e]iart incut Clia plain X. E. Hani ion, 
after whieli tlic earth leceived all that was mortal of tlie late 
Senator, and slowly the sorriiwing friends retnrued to their 
respective homes. 



RESOLUTIONS OF l.'HSPECT. 

TIIK STATK NOi;-\IAL SCHOOL. 

At a regular meeting of the board .if regeuts of the State 
Normal School, December L,'!!, 18!»1, the foHowing resolutions 
were unaniujousjy adojitcd: 

"AYhereas we to-day mourn the loss of an esteemed friend 
and a distinguished fellow-citizen, the Hon. Preston B. 
Plttmb, whose sudden death brings gloom and sorrow to our 
whole Oommonwealth ; aud whereas he has ever been the 
stanch friend and liberal supporter of every institution which 
might conduce to the advancement, the enlightenment, and 
the hajipiness of the people: and whereas the State Normal 
School has had many occasions to bless his bounty and to re- 
joice in his interest aud friendship: 

"i>e // n'soliH'd, That as mendiers of the board of regeuts of 
the State Normal S<hool we desire in tliis formal way to express 
our profound appreciation of his sterling character as a man, 
of his noble record as a citizen, aud <if his great services as a 
represeutative of our State. 

•^Kcsolnd, That we shall ever cherish his name and career as 
worthy the emulation of eveiy citizen of the liepublic. The 



64 Lite and Character of Preston />'. rin»il>. 

purity of his public lit'o. the ilevotioii with which lii- served 
the interests of the whuk- pcoitle, liis unswerviiiji- fidelity to 
prineiple. the iiiiiversal esteem in which he was held l)> all 
liarties, the attainment of so exalted a position in the councils 
of the nation, mark him as a splendid example of the |)ossi- 
bilities of this privilejicd land. 

^^Nesolvril. Tliai the tiaj: lie placed at lialf mast and iliatthe 
biiildinfr be appropriately draped. 

'■h'csolrcd, That a copj' of these resolutions be furnished the 
bereaved family, to whom we temler our heartfelt sympathy; 
that a coi)y be furnished each of the city |)apers, and that 
they be s]>read in I'lill updu Tlic ininiitcs of this board." 



THE SECOND PRESBYTEKl.VN < IH KCll. 

On Suinlav . I)cccinl)cr 20, ISiU. at the close of the evening 
services, the Second Presbyterian Clnucli of Eni])oria unani- 
mou.sly passed the followinfr resolutions: 

••Rtsolrcd, Tiuit we acknowledge the hanil of the Lord, who 
giveth us all things and who takctii away, and in His wise 
providence that it is He who hath taken from us our dear friend, 
the Hon. Preston E. Pi-tmr. 

'•Rcnolrcil, That it seems to us that his dcatii is a great loss 
to the country at large, to the State of Kansas, and in i)artic- 
ular to Hmporia, but most especially to his bcloveil family. 

''/I'f'.vo/r^''/, That we extend our most sincere and heartfelt 
sympathy to Mrs. Plumb, and her beloved children, and all 
relatives. 

^'Resolved, That, in consideration of his always open, hel])ing 
hand toward our church and our high esteem for our dejiarted 
frieml. our ])ulpit be drajuMl in mourning for thirty days. 

'•fi'ifioh-cd, That the pastor do now at tlie close of this serv- 
ice read aloud the lliitli i'^aliu. ami ihai tiie congregation 



Ri'so/iitioiis of Rt'.spcxt. 65 

join ill turniui;- unto tiio Lord ;iii(l offt'ring prayer in behalf of 
the bereaved family, that they may have grace aud strength 
to uphold them in tliis the hour of tlieir great trial and deep 
sorrow. 

"(Signed for the church) 

"John Jones, Pastor. 
"L. W. Lewis, Secretary.'''' 



THE COLLEGE OF EMPfiRIA. 

The faculty of the College of Emi)(>iia desire to unite with 
their fellow <'iti/.eus of the Commouwealth of Kansas in ex- 
pressing their sense of the grave loss that has befallen the 
State in the death of our distinguished Senator, Hon. Peeston 
B. Plumb. 

We share in the general appreciation of his splendid talents, 
his devotion to duty, his tireless zeal in meeting the resjionsi- 
bilities of office, his ever enlargiug patriotism, and his large- 
hearted liberality. 

We gratefully iiut on record the fact that he presided at the 
first jtublic meeting held in this city in behalf of this iustitu- 
tion. His persuasive arguments decided others to adopt his 
own views. His name was first on the roll of contributors 
and his gift was the largest. He was a member of the first 
board of trustees. His hand laid the corner stone of Stuart 
hall. He gave generously every year to the Anderson library. 

For these and other reasons we deem it timely to adopt the 
following resolutions as expressing the sentiments of this 
faculty : 

(1) That iu the death of Senator Plumb the State is called 
to mourn the loss of her foremost citizen. 

^-') That his name and the memory of the invaluable services 
he rendered the State and nation deserve to be tenderly en- 
shrined by the entire Conimdnwealth of Kansas 

S. Mis. L'l-'.s .". 



66 Life and Character of P>-eslon />. PliiDib. 

(3) That his jjeiieroiis ami i)roiui)t suinjort of the higher 
liberal ('(lucation as eiubraeetl in tln' curriculum (if this college 
challenges our lasting gratitude. 

(-1 i Tliut tlic Hag of Stuart liall he suitably draped and the 
college hell tolled during the funeral services. 

(5^ Tiiat our lu-artfelt symjiathy be tendered tlie sorely smit- 
ten household, each of whom we tenderly comineud to the God 
of all grace and cipiiifort. 

College of IOmimiuia, nicmtht)- 2:1, iSOl. 



THE KANSAS STATf, SENATE. 

TOPEKA, Kaxs., December 24. 

A special train bearing the Kansas State senate left this 
city at 10 o'clock this morning for iMnporia. 

Kesolutions were adopted last night at tlie Copeland which 
will be spread up(m the senate journal. They follow : 

'■'■ ReMilred. Tiiat in common with all tiu; peoi)leofthe State 
of Kansas we deei)ly mourn tlie loss of our senior Senator, the 
Hon. I'Ki'.sroN IJ. Plumb, whom the all-wise Creator, in Ilis 
infinite wisdom, lias seen fit to call from our midst. 

" h'esolveil, Tiiat in his di'atli I lie State of Kansas loses a citi- 
zen whose life since tlie organization of Kansas as a Territory 
and during its existence as a State has been closely identified 
witli its growth and develoinnent. and a man whom the State 
has been pleased lo JKinnr. and wIki. in leluin. liy his eminent 
.services in imblic and |irivate, life, has cimfeired honor npnii 
the State. 

•'ill-solved, That while tiie life of ihe suldier. staiesinaii, and 
great commoner was sti suddenly demanded at the \ery perind 
of his most stalwart manhoiid ami acknowledged usefulness, 
we i;an but accept the will of the unseen power which directs 
all tliinirs to His final honor and "lorv and which we lia\e an 



Rfs<>/iit/(Tiis of Respect. 67 

abidiu'i- faitli will work out this great sorrow to tlie blessing 
of the [K'uplc. 

"litHolrtil, That our most protoiiiul sympathy is cxtciKhMl to 
the grief-stnckeii wife and cliihlren of the dead Senator; Imt, 
trusting that they may be sustained by the promise of hope, 
which begets peace, and that, although tlie dead husband and 
fatlKM- fell in the midst of life's most exacting activities, we 
trust they may be comforted in the assurance that there must 
be, there is, a tinal recompense. 

''Resolved, That these resolutions be engrossed antl a copy 
sent to the bereaved family."' 



THE EMPORIA CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. 

Council Chamber, December ;.'!, 1891. 

Mr. Fox moved that a committee on resolutions be appointed 
on the death of Senator Plumb to report during this meeting. 
The motion was adopted. 

The mayor appointed Messrs. Fox, Bootey, and Ireland as 
such committee and they at once reported the following reso- 
lution, which on motion of Mr. Ewing was unaiumously 
adopted: 

" Whereas we are called upon to share in the grief and deep 
sense of loss which have come so suddenly and with such 
terrible force into every home and heart in this city in the 
death of Senator Preston B. Plumb: 

'■•Resolved, That in the going-out of this noble life Emporia 
loses a stanch and tirm friend, a citizen of un.spotted char- 
acter, who in public life has by his unflinching courage and 
unfaltering dev(ttion to right and truth commanded the respect 
and admiration of the nation. 

'-Resolved, While we unite with the State and the nation in 
thus paying homage to the memory of our dead Senator we 



68 Life and Character of Preston />'. Plumb. 

feel especially our owu loss as we reuieiuber biin as neighbor 
and friend, devoteil to the best interests of Emporia, his -rreat, 
noble heart always ready to respond to <;enninc need. 

•^ liesolnil. That we extend to tlii' stricken t'ainily onr most 
sincere condolence, as with them we bow in trust to a Provi- 
dence we can not understand. 

'■ h'c.solrcd, That tiiese resolutions be sjjn-ad upon the records 
in the office of the city clerk and that a certified copy be for- 
warded to Mrs. Plumb. 

'•U. E. Fox, 

" R. J. BOOTEY, 

''0. F. Ireland. 
" 11. S. Alexandku, Citi/ Clerk." 



THE EXECUTIVE COt'NCIL oK THE STATE OF KANSAS. 

At a meetinj;- of tlie Executive Council of the State of Kan 
sas the following resolutions were adojited : 

" Death loves a shining mark," and its latest illustrious 
\ictim was the most useful and conspicuous citizen of Kansas. 

Senator Pre.ston B. Pi.rMH crowned his efforts in behalf 
of the nation, his State, and the people with the glory of mar- 
tjTdom. He exhausted all his vital energies to meet his owu 
sublime conception of the duties of exalted public position. 
He was the most devoted and lat)orious representative that any 
])eople ever stmt to the National Capital. 

His love for his State, his pride in its birth, in its brilliant 
youth, ill its military acliieNcinents, in its wiiiidertul urowtli, 
in its phenomenal development, and in its marvi'lous jiroduc- 
tion, were constantly in his mind, and finally became the law 
of his nature and the main inducement to his own success and 
advancement. 

Any resident of Kansas could confidently appeal to and im 
plicitly relj' on the assurance that no detail was too small, no 



Jxisol/i/ioiis of Respect. 69 

question roo lai;;e, iii> wroiijj so stroiii;ly iiitrcuclit'u m iwwer, 
but that tlie very best efforts oftlie Seiuitor would be exerted 
in his beluill'. 

A threat statesman, in the flower of jflorions luanliood, in the 
eujoymeut of a growing- and widening fame that was reaehiug 
to all parts of the nation, in the full ])ossessi()n of matured 
powers, is suddenly stricken down, and a great State is l)ereft 
of his wise guidance iu puhlie affairs and its eitizens of the aid 
of his helping liands in all governmental departments. 

The great heart of the Commonwealth is burdened with sor- 
row and all the good people mourn liis death as a personal 
loss, and extend their heartfelt sympathy ti) the grief-stricken 
family of the man who loved the vState as he loved them. 

Resolved, That the Statehouse be draped iu mourning, the 
national flag be displayed at half mast, and that the State 
officers wear moiuuing for thirty days. 

Lyman U. Hu:mphkev, 

Gorernor. 
William Higgins, 

Secntaii/ of State. 
Chas. M. Hovey, 

Auditor of State. 
Solomon G. Stover, 

Treasurer of State. 
John N. Ives, 

Attorney -General. 
Geo. W. Winans, 
Superintendent of Public Instruction. 



PROCERI)IN(;S IN THE SENATE 



ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH. 

In thk Senate. Frbruioi/ IS, lS'Ji>. 

Mr. Peffek. Mr. President, pursuaut to notice, I ofter the 
resolutions which I send to the desk. 

Tlie Vice-Pre«ii)ENT. The resoliitions will l)e read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

ResnlrciJ, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 
of the death of Preston P.. Plxtmb, late a Senator from the 
State of Kansas. 

Resolved, That as a mark of respect ti> the memory of the 
ileceased the business uf the Senate he now suspended to 
enaUle his assiunates to pay proper tribute of regard to his 
high character and distinguished jiublic services. 

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate 
these resolutions to the House of llepresentatives. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. PEFFER, OF KANSAS. 
Mr. Peffer. Mr. President, Preston B. Plumb was born 
in Delaware County, Ohio, October 12, 1837. He had only a 
common school education. At the age of 12 years he entered 
the otUce of the Western Episcopalian, at Gainbier, Ohio, and 
learned the printer.s' trade. In 18.")3 he established the Xenia 

71 



72 Address of Mr. Pcffcr, of Kansas., on Ihe 

News ami coniliictiil it wiili vij.'oi- ami success. At that time 
Hev. (liaiivilic Mdixly. a (listiufjfiiisbed Methodist preacher and 
reforiiiei-. was iucatcd at Xeiiia. Mostly IVoiii him yoiiufj Mr. 
I'Ll'Mn iiidiihed his hatred of Iminau slavery. In 18o(J, when 
the Kansas strujigle was at its heijiht, one day he went into 
the Xews office and saiil, •• 1 am {,'oin}j:to Kansas.*' -'When?'' 
was askcil. •• 'ro-mnrrnw." he answered; ami •• Ici iiKnidw " he 
starteil. The Kansas Trii^.iie, printed at TopeUa. on the l'2d 
day iif October of that year, records the arrival of Mi-. I'll'mb 
witii a company of twenty-eight yonng men. The winter fol- 
lowing he sjient in Lawrence and was luremaii in the Herald 
of Freedom printing otlicc. 

In the spring of Ksr)7 he and four others organized the Em- 
jinria Town Conii)any. on the banks of the Xeosho River, in 
the jiresent count \- of Lyon. There he atterwaids made his 
permanent home. He was the active nuin of the company 
and soon established a news])ai)er, the Emporia Xews, which 
for a long time was among the leading i)apers of the State. 
It was during those early years when Mr. Plumh was travel- 
ing over the trackless prairie one day and came to a home- 
steader's shanty. lie went in and found a man down with 
smallpox. 'Ihe few neighbors had become i)anic stricken and 
lett the man alone to die. Plitmk was so moved by the 
jiitiable s])ectacle that he abandoneil his Journey and stayed 
and nursed the jxku' man through his sickness. As a result 
he contracted the disease himself. 

He took a profound interest in all tlie jmblic affairs of the 
Territory and lie was ti'ei|ueiitl\' iiitrusteil w ith grave rcsi)oii- 
sibilities. lie was a member of nnjst of the conventions held 
to discuss the situation. Among the jn-eserved relies of those 
stirring times are several instruments of writing in which Mr. 
Plumb was personally intercsteil. Hire are three of them. 

No. 1 is a i-ommission as superintendent of enrollment, issued 



Lite and Chanutcr of Pnstou />'. riiinib. 73 

by Gfu. .lauR's 11. Laue and (■..luitfrsi-n.'d by M. F. <"ou\vay 
as adjiitaiit-geueral, dated duly 20, isr.7: 

Headquarters Kansas Volunteers 
For the Protection of the Ballot-box, 

Lnwroice, July :.'(>, 1857. 

Whereas the i)e(>ple of Kansas, in convention at Topeka, 
July b"), 1857, did adopt the toIlowin.n- resolution : 

■• /iV.sohv7?, That Gen. .lames 11. Lane be ap|)Ointed by this 
convention and authorized to organize the people in tlie several 
districts to protect the ballot-boxes at the approaching elec- 
tions in Kansas :'' 

Now, therefore, in pursuance of the authority thus vested 
in me by the people of Kansas, I do hereby coustitute and 
appoint P. B. Plumb superintendent of enr(dlinent. Fourth 
Brigade, Second Division. 

This appointment is conferred u].on P. B. Plumb by virtue 
of confidence entertained by me in his patriotism aud integrity, 
well knowing that in his hands every duty appertaining to the 
aforesaid position will be faithfully discliargcd 

Given at the office of the adjutant-general this day. 

.T. H. Lane, Onjanixing. 

M. F. Conway, Adjuldiit-dcKmil. 

No. 2 is an appointment as aide-de camp, December 17, 1857: 

IIeadquarters Kansas Militia, Ikcvmhcr 17,1857. 
Sir: You are hereby notified of your aiipointment as aide- 
de-camp to the ntajor-general. under the act entitled "An act 
for the organization and regulation of the militia," passed De- 
cember 16, 1857. 

J. H. Lane, M«jor-<hnerul. 

No. •'? is a receipt peculiarly characteristic: 

Topeka, September :?7, 1859. 
Received from Oapt. Plumb, of the " Grizzlies," 7(5 5-inch 
Colt's revolvers for the four companies of Kansas emigrants 

under mv command. 

Jas. Kedpatu. 



74 Address of Mr. Pcffcr, of Kansas, on the 

Mi. I'LUMiJ bejiiiii his real lite work tui bloody ground. 
Wliittier (1858) wrote: 

From the Ufarths of their oabiim. 

The fields of their corn, 
I'nwariieil and unweaponed. 

The victims were torn. 

• • • • ■ 

Wind slow from the Swan's Marsh, 

O dreary death-train. 
Witli pressed lips as bloodless 

As li]is of tile slain. 

• ■ • > « 

On the lintels of Kansas 
That blood shall nut dry. 

Henceforth to the sunset. 

Unchecked on her way. 
Shall Liberty follow 

The march of the ilay. 

During these active years ^Ir. Plumh .studied law and 
attended law lecture.s two terms iu ("U-vclaud, Ohio. In 18G1 
he was admitted to the bar and oi)ened a law olliee iu Emporia. 
In 1S62 he was elected to the lowei' house of the Legislature 
and was appointed reporter of the Supreme Coiut. During 
September of that year he raised two companies of volunteers 
for till- lili'Miitli Kansas regiment and entered the service as 
second lieutenant. lie was rai)iilly promoted tucaptain. major, 
and licutc'uant colonel. 

The regiment saw some hard service beiiire t he cud of the 
first year, having been engaged in tlie hattles of Cane Hill, 
Prairie Grove, and others in southwest .Missouri and in \v 
kansas. After the close of the war 'Sly. I'H'MU returned to 
Enijuiria and resumed the practice of law. He entered into 
]iartnerslii]i w itli .linlize K. W. Haggles nndei- tlie tiini name 



Life nii(/ Charactir of /'rrstnn />'. /'/nii/h. 75 

of Riigsh's iS: I'lmiili. Tlu- tirm iittractiMl wide al tciitioii at 
once and soon socurcil a lar^c |iiactice, covcriuj; the whole 
State. Ill l.sti(> lie was elected to the lower house of the Kan 
sas Legislature and was chosen speaker. About that time he 
begau to hiy the foundation of his ])ri\ate fortune. The rapid 
development of the country and the consequent rapid advance 
in values created many oppiutuuities for i)rofltable iuvestnuuit 
and he seemed to know when and where to invest. He rarely 
made a mistake. At his sugii'estion sonu^ of his old Ohio 
friends established a liank in Emporia, and Mr. Ph'JIB was 
chosen its president and manager in ISTi.'. In 1S77 he was 
elected a lueniljer of this body, wheic his lml)its of industry, 
his (piickness of perception, his lireadth of view, and his per- 
sistence in etfort soon brought him into mei'ited prominence. 

Mr. Pli'MB was uuirried in 1<S(>7 to Miss Caroline Southwi<'k, 
of xVshtabula, Oliio. Ilis home was a delightful one. He en 
joyed comfort and cared nothing for disi)lay. While abuu 
dautly able to build a splendid residence, he preferred rather 
to live as his neighbors lived; and today there are nuiuy 
dwellings in Emporia more costly and more showy than his. 
He took great pride in the education and training of his 
childreu. lie was with them as nuu-h as his active life per- 
mitted. He availed himself of every opportunity to add to 
the pleasure and enjoyment of his family. He leaves his wife 
and live children: Mary, Amos, Euth, ('arrie, and Preston. 

From his early youth he had strong religious convictions, 
but he never connected himself with any ciiurch. He was the 
friend of everything good and fostered all elevating influences. 
When at home lie always worshiped at the Congregational 
Church, where his family were nu'inbers, and he took great 
interest in its prosiierity. He died in the city of Washington 
on the 20th day of December, ISitl, ha\ing been a member of 
this bodv coiitinuouslv since the 4tli da\' of March, 1.S77. 



7t! .-ItMiTss of Mr. I\ffci\ o/ A'lUisas, an the 

Mr. I'lesiclciii. tin- pcuplc wlm lodk km while wc (•(Jiuliict 
these iiieuioi'ial services ol'teii wonder and sometimes openly 
ask whelhei-. afler all. there is eniiii^;h >in<« liiy and serious- 
ness in luir proceedings to Justify the time and treasure de- 
Noted to them. Concerniug the reasou ut' this suspicion wo 
need nut now imiuire: certain it is that when death comes to 
US in our iiomes. uiiliiii the rangi- of our aeiiuaintaiice, there 
is sorrow because of our trouble. When one of tender j'ears 
is taken from us — our firstborn it may be. the gem of the 
liouseliolil or the pet and jiride of our later years — when the 
wife and mother goes and the family is bidkcn. or the husband 
and father, and the home is left desolate, neighbors aud friend.s 
come aiul weep with u.s aud tender kindly offices: they go with 
us to the last restiiigi)lace of wiuit we call the dead, and 
there, at theoiien gra\e. sing with ns and pi ay and join in the 
iioly invocation in our behalf, then reveicTitl.v de[>art, leaving 
blessings ou us. Aud this not so nuicli because of their jier- 
soiuil interest iu the situation as because a family has been 
stricken, friends are in trouble, ami they are pleased in this 
way to make known their sympathy. 

These things coiui- to us because we are brethren. The tbun- 
tains of the soul are full of kindred sympatiiies which miugle 
and bring forth good, some thirty, some sixty, and some a 
Imiidred lolil. If a whole iieighlioihood be thus sorrowt'ul 
o\er the ileath of oue membeiof a single family, and that, too, 
it may be, (nie too young to have been known or even seen by 
many persons outside of the little circle of home, is it strange 
that when a strong man falls, a man in possession ot' all his 
faculties, a man in action, one who .served his country iu war 
aud in jjcace, whose voice has been heard in the nation's coun- 
cils and whose footjirints are traced in its statutes — when the 
career of suih a one is suddenly i iit shoit by death, may we 
nf)t stop and devote an hour to thinking about it ? 



Life ii"ii i'liaiaclii- of J'its/oii />'. I'luinli. 77 

There is suiiictliini; :i1miiiI tlic '(\h-\ or cuiKlitidii wliirli we 
term (le;itli tliat cliallrnncs diir utteiition. Vet it is iini licatli 
that halts us anil sets new rlic>uj;hts in niotidii. It is liH- we 
ar(> thinkinfi' about. It is life that tills ns with ciiiotioii; life 
that wrings our hearts and heats our liiains. Life is the 
iiiai'vcl ol' the a.i;'es, the jicrpctual pi'ohlcni of men. It is the 
life ot' oni' friend that we reiueniher. We eare nothing aliont 
that pai't of the transforination whieh we know as death. We 
hasten to forget it and all its incidents; but the life is wirh us 
forever. Its ])laee in the nuMuory is kept garnished and clean 
eontinually as tin- years eimie ami go. We would not, if we 
could, let go the hope that some day, when the time is ripe, 
.souls shall meet again. How cheerless the days and mouths 
and years would be to this family were they deprived of the 
hope to see again and to love the man whose presence to them 
in their happy home iu suuuy Kansas was so dear, so helpful, 
and cheering. Ifo, no; it is not death that interests us, but 
life; for life is leal. continuing, eternal. 

The life of a man as he lives it in the presence of his fellows 
is as proi)erly a subject for observation and study as the water 
we drink or the air that we 1 )reathe. Ti > understand the moti^-es 
which impel men to action is ([uite as important as it is that 
we understand the medical jiroperties of the food we eat. ( )ur 
lives are affected by the lives of other men. Our thoughts are 
induenced by their thoughts. Our opinions are largely made 
up of what was formed in other minds before it lodged in ours. 
So surely are we moved by what is moving others that weoften 
find ourselves unconsciously following a leadership we did not 
choose. Our jdiysical movements, our social dei>ortment, our 
habits of thought, our manner of speech, our gestures, all that 
we are and all that we do before our fellows, all that goes to 
make up what we term our lives, is as much an assimilatiim 
of what was and is being said and done by persons aiotiud us 



7» Address of Mr. Ptffcr, of Kansas, on the 

as our bixlit's arc iiiuile up ol" vital ossciucs tliat frrow in the 
grass and <m tin- tit'fs. Thosi- jriaii<l chaiacteis that stand 
(lilt anmnt: their follows like peaks in mountain lanjres, and 
that \vc sec aliu' oil as we see elitVs and iMinnontoiies on the 
shore line of the sea, are the men that move the world. Their 
thoughts take lodtrment in other minds and reappear in the 
liteiatureoftlietime; their style and their manner of speech are 
(•oi)ied wherever laufjuage is written ;iiiil deeds are proclaimed; 
their suggestions take form in adorunieut of homes, improve- 
ment of cities, in architecture and invention: their ideas live 
in machines, aiul their conclusions arc jueserved in laws. 

How shall we study this inanV life and how sliall w e measure 
him? Shall we begin by ifiiioriu^r tliose tiiiiij,'s which made 
him what he was and substitute another life for his? Shall we 
construct an ideal man and then describe and praise (mr own 
creation? Vs\ shall we rather do in his own case as he w((uld 
have done in ours: take nj) liis life Just as lir lived it and look 
at that? Beginning a i)Oor boy, he was an editor at Hi years 
of age, a captain of militia at 2(», member of a constitutional 
conventiim at li2, lawyer at 24, in the State legislature, and 
lieutenant, captain, major, and colonel of \olnnteers at 25, 
United States Senator at 40 Surely there is a lesson in sutdi 
a life, viewed in its own robust ])ersonalty. with no (Mnbellish- 
ment beyond the simple truth. 

Jloved by a boy's ambition to d<i and dare, looking lull in 
the face an untried, uidiiiown. unknowable future, his lieart 
fired bytheelof|uenceof (;arrison,<iiddings, IMiillips. Sumner, 
and Hale, a gallant soldier in the army of Fremont, what more 
natural than that this brave, brainy. lil)crtydoving boy should 
turn toward tlic battle -round in Kansas.' With the troubh^s 
there began the greatest war in history, a w:m- in whieli a 
natiimoftlie best and bravest people on earth undertook lo 
.settle among themselves and for themselves a matter wliich it 



/.//(■ and t'/ianrc/i-r of /'i,s/oii />'. Pliiiiih. 7!t 

liad lifcomc evident to ;ill ecmld not hedisposed oC in any other 
way. In tliat ^reat war Mr. l'i.f:Mi! perlornied a I'nion 
soldier's part. I'lion its eoiielnsion lie, w itli others, bej;aii the 
building of a State, and the uiiirvelous growth ol' Kansas 
testifies that their work was well done. It has no jiarallel iu 
the history of settlement. 

It is lint thirty years sineethe State became a member of the 
American Union, and in those thirty years her population in- 
eicased more than a million and a ((uarter. She has builded 
S,(M)(» schoolhouses; her railways measure nearly H,000 miles of 
main traek; her farmers raised i!,")(),0()(l,O()(l bushels of corn iu 
188!) and more than r)(),000,(l()(t bushels of wheat in 18!)1; she 
has a post-oftiee witlnn easy reach of every home aud churches 
enough to seat one fourth of her people. Mr. Plumb was one 
of the busy, restless, devoted band that accimiplished tliis 
wonderful work. They concjuered the wilderness and ex- 
l)unged the frontier line. Among all those tireless workers 
none did more, none was more active anil persistent, nime 
more respected, none more loyal than he in whose nu'nmry 
tliese words are spoken. lie possessed intuitive knowledge of 
practical methods. Hewasnotan inventor; not a philosopher; 
not a dreamer nor a doctrinaire; not an enthusiast; but he 
was a worker, a workman who uses to the best advantage the 
tools he has to work with. He wasted nothing iu ex])erinu'nts; 
he preferred to work along lines that had led to success. 

He thought the farmer's smokehouse ought to be on the 
farm, and not in the jiacking houses at Kansas City or ( 'hicago. 
He thought the wool and cotton grown on Kansas soil ought 
to be manufactured in Kansas towns. He was resourcefnl 
rather than original. An economist, husbanding his means, 
he was in all things jiractical, doing that which he knew eonid 
be done rather tlian wasting eflbrt on doubtful ventures. He 
believed the workman is worthy of his hire, and he had no use 



80 AMnss of Mr. Pcffer, of A'ansas, on the 

for a lazy num. lU- ilitl not invent sclii'incs nor (Ipvisc jilans 
to set sreat enterprises in motion, but lie used tlie nii-ans at 
liand ti> (li-\t'lipp what was in sijjlit. lie <-areiI not to exjiliire 
unknown rejiions, but he got out nt'tlic present all thai was in 
it. ilis ambition was to do, ratiier than to be. It was as 
natural tor iiini to work as it is for rivers to tlow. Clear in 
view, lirni in ippinioii. direct in thonjrlit, voluble in speeeh. and 
courageous in expression, such a man could lu-ither be iriu/ 
zled nor dwarfed. In the languafic of a friend, '• lands, iiioiu-y, 
cattle, mines, railroads, banks, all the great agencies of busi- 
ne.ss and politics, gave liiui tlu' delight that a child feels in its 
toys. lie derived fruni the contemplation of these subjects 
the pleasure that men, ditferently organized, feel in society, 
the table, books, art, ami travel.'' 

Hntering the Senate from an agrii-ultural State, in a period 
of commercial deju'ession, when the country was going down 
to the low level of a gold-moiu\v basis, his views logically re- 
flected those of his ])eo|tle. He believed in enlarging the 
volume of the circulating medium and he believed the Govern- 
ment alone should provide the money. He was opjKJsed to 
intrusting this high function of sovereignty to corporations. 
He advocated the substitution of Government jiaper for bank 
notes; he favored free coinage of silver; he urgeil tjie i-e\ ision 
of tanlV duties in the interest of labor; lie opposed increasing 
the Army, and insisted ui)o)i simi)lifying the costly and. as he 
believed, unnecessarily cumbrous diplomatic system. His 
ready grasp of situations, his (piick |)ercepti(ni of what m'cds 
to be first done, his clear compreliensioii oi pnlilii' iin'ds. liis 
never-failing fund of resouices, and his ceaseless energy ser\ id 
him in this broader Held ol effort as they had done in his local 
work at home. .\s he had done there, so he did here. He 
kept close to the people; hestudieil their wants and he kept 
his home iiinong them. I le maiuiaincd no cost ly establishment 



/.//(■ and Characlt-r of Prfstmi I>. Plumb. Ml 

at tlu' ii;ili()irs caiutnl. lie liail no liveried servants to wsiit. 
ui«)n liini liere. When a Kansas man came to VVashinst"", 
Plumb's hand, liis head, his heait, and his |>orket were ready 
to serve him. lie always resi)ouded wIhmi the |ieoi>le called, 
and he did it williniily. 

With the gifted In.ualls al his side — Inyalls, pi-onipt and 
fearless on the Hoor, iead.\' and impaitial in the chair, liri,t;lit 
and interesting everywhere — Kansas had able champions in 
debate and sagacious friends iu counsel. 

The worst that Senator Plumb's political enemies ever said 
of him was that he excused his party and defended it even 
when he believed it to be wrong. One who knew him well 
says of him : 

" He voted against the McKinley bill, favored free silver, de- 
nounced national banks and the tinancial policy oi his asso- 
ciates, but he never parted company with them in the end." 

His loyalty to his party, strong as it was, was not stronger 
than his own convictions upon measures of public policy: yet, 
harshly as he often criticised his party in this Chamber when 
his political friends were iu the majority, he was never known 
to oppose his party in the forum of the pe()i)le. If that was a 
weakness in him, how shall we excuse ourselves, those of us 
who are no stronger than he ? "Let him that is without .sin 
cast the first stone." Although a blind devotion to party 
warps the judgment of men, impairs our usefulness, and to 
some extent necessarily blunts our moial sense, liow many of 
us are guiltless? 

Hut there is another and still l)etter phase of this man's life; 
and that, after all, when it is what it ought to be, is the best 
part of the best men's lives, that which is lived at home, where 
sacred relations exist, where the tenderest ties are formed; 
there where our children are born, where new lives come to 
us, and where we start men and women on tht' way to citizen- 
ship, thus doing our part iu develoi)iug and perpetuating what 
S. Mis. 2L'S (i 



82 Address of Mr. Peffcr, of Kansas, on (he 

is jjood ill siK'iety ami jinvcniiueut. A well-ordered home is a 
prosiierous nation iu niiuiature. In its arrangement and mau- 
agcuient are involved all the Christian graces and the highest 
forms of j)ul)lic control. 

As to his jiersonal religions views, ho was a tirni believer in 
the Christian fait li and all that it implies. He always spoke 
of religions things with tlie utmost respect and reverence. He 
was never heard to speak lightly of sacred things under any 
circumstances or in any conii>any. He believed in churches 
ami rejoiced in tlieir prosperity and growth. His name was 
not enrolled in the membership of any denomination, yet he 
was a Christian. He was dcvutcd to tliosc of his own house- 
hold, he was kind to the needy around him. charitable always, 
generous to his neighbors, temperate and decorous himself, 
and respectful to all. That is a Christian life. Nothing bet- 
ter shows the virtue of the all-pervading influence of truths 
which have come down to us through the centuries from Him 
who spake as never man spake than the moral and intellectual 
upbuilding of families like this. 

Though the march of (uvilization has been over bloody 
ground, the leaven of truth has spread until the nations believe 
in (iod. And thougii men may be careless of moral restraint, 
though some of us may sit in costly temples ami hire our 
W(ushiping done, thougli the poor may liave nut even a closet 
to pray in, though many and tiagrant wrongs exist and many 
of us are desi)erately wicked, still the spirit that angels sang 
when the " Babe of Bethlehem" was born — peace an<l good 
will— the doctrine tauglit i)y tlie *• Carpenter's Son," and the 
life lived by the " lowly Nazareue" are more deeply embedded 
in the conscience of the masses to-day than ever before. The 
revolution now in progress will set us one step nearer thetime 
when men shall deal justly, love mercy, and walk iiumbly, 
the choicest fruit of Christian doctrine, the " full-grown corn 
in the eai-."' 



Lijc and Character of Preston /!. I'liiinO. 83 



Address of Mr. Cockrell, of Missouri. 

^^r. CoOKilHLL. Mr. President, ;i mid tin- iiuiiiy iiressiuj; aii(! 
onerous labois and duties devolvini;' ni>(>n the Senate of the 
United States, it is eminently right that we sliouhl pause tor 
one day to pay tlie last sad rites to the name and memory of 
our deceased cohiljorer, Pbeston B. Plumb, the lionored and 
ilhistrious Senator from the great State of Kansas. 

He entered this Chamber on March 4. 1877, as a Senator 
from the State of Kansas, and for over fourteen years and nine 
months was an active, dili.oent, hvborious, useful, influential, 
and honored memljer of this body. 

How ([uiekly, how uuexi)ectedly, th»> light of his earthly life 
was bedarkened by the gloom of his death ! 

Apparently in robust health, with clear, intellectual vigor 
and unceasing activity, the fell disease quickly overpowered 
the vital forces of life and his immortal spirit passed tVom the 
scenes of time to the realities of the eternal life, impressively- 
verifying the fact that in life we are in the midst of death. 

It was my pleasure to form his personal actpiaintance when 
he entered upon his duties in this Chamber, in March, 1877, 
and our acquaintance ripened into a warm personal friendship, 
which continued uninterruptedly to his death. 

We served upon the same committees — on Military Afiairs, 
Public Lands, and Appropriations. These services greatly 
strengthened our friendship and intimate relations. 

I can truthfully say — without any invidious reflections upon 
others — that he was one of the most untiring, painstaking, 
constantly laborious, useful, and intelligent members of this 
great legislative body. 

His whole life from boyhood to death, when faithfully por- 
trayed in all its stages, reads like a romance, and is peculiarly 



84 .h/ii'/t^i^ I'/ .)//. LOi'krcll, Of .U/Mo/in, on the 

interest ill},'' and iiistnicti\e. anil sliould be a .soiiire of juat 
pride to liis bereft compaiiioii and ehildreu, and of eucourafje- 
luent and finulation to the tlionsands of struggling and land- 
ably ambitions yoiitlis of our uicat country. It jjortrays in 
realistic and inspiring colors the possible achievements of life 
in our country under our unequaled system of government. 

I have neither the data nor the time to go into the details of 
bis life. Others more competent have done and will do so. 

Rrietiy stated, I'rkston B. Plumb was born in Delaware 
County, Ohio, on October 12, 18.37; received a common school 
education; learned the art of jiriiiting, and aided in establish 
ing the Xenia News, removed to the then Territory of Kan.sas 
in 1850, then being about 20 years of age; was a i)rinter in the 
oflSce of the Herald of Freedom, and became foreman. In 1S57 
he established the Emporia News, at Knijioria, Ivans., and 
thereafter made that jilace his home; was a member of the 
Leavenworth constitutional convention of IS.W. having em 
ployed his few leisure moments in studying law; was admitted 
to the bar in 1801; was elected a member of the lower house 
of the Legislature in 1862; was chairman of the judiciary com- 
mittee, and aftei \v:irds repiu'ter of the sujireine court. 

Ill August, 1802, he entered tlie volunteer service of his 
country as a second lieutenant in the I'^leventh Kansas Kegi- 
ment, and became successively captain, major, and lieutenant- 
colonel, and was coiiimissioued colonel of that regiment. In 
1800 he was a member and was elected speaker of the Kiiiisas 
house of representatives, and was also a member in the follow- 
ing year. Keliiniuishiiig the practiire of law, he was made 
president of the iOiiiporia National Bank in 187.5. lie was 
elected to the I'nited States Senaic> tor the term lieginniiig on 
the 4tli of March, 1877, and was successively elected his own 
successor in 1883 and 188'.t, his third term expiring on March 
3, 18».->. 



Life and Characlcr of Preston B. I'lumb. 85 

It is lohited ol'liiui tli;it when about t wclve years of a<;c lie Icff 
his hoiiic with a little huiulle of personal effeets and walked 10 
miles to the piintiii;;- office in which he was to leain his trade, 
and that only a few months before his death he referred to that 
event and said, -That was the beginuinj;- of the journey of my 
life." xV wonderful journey it was, trodden without pause or 
rest, with constant and laborious application and unceasing 
toil to (pudify and fit him to hold fast every successive step 
taken and to rise hi<;]ier and higher in the esteem, confidence, 
and love of the people of his State and of the whole country. 
Most truly can it be said, -lie was the architect of his own 
fortune." 

Self-educated, without the advantages of a classical or uni- 
versity education, without fortune, and without influential and 
helpful friends, he became a printer, an editor, a lawyer, a 
colonel in our volunteer army, a State legislator, a bank presi- 
dent, and a United States Senator, elected successively for 
three terms, ever retaining a conscious memory of the suc- 
cessive steps he had taken and never growing haughty or 
self-conceited, and faithfully and efticiently dischaiging the 
dutiesof every ])o8ition to the satisfaction of the jiersons inter- 
ested and with credit and honor to himself. 

He possessed a broad, strong, active mind, an<l with judicial 
clearness comprehended the solution ofcpxestions i)resented, 
and with clear, rapid judgment executed his plans. 

He was a true representative of the great masses of the 
people, familiar and in warm .sympathy with their wants and 
best interests as seen by him. 

In every position in his eventful career he achieved success 
by his indomitable energy, perseverance, close, studious appli 
cation, and determined will power. As a friend, he was true 
and faithful; as a husband he was tender, loving, and devoted 
to his invalid companion; and as a father, kiiul and affec- 
tionate. 



86 Address of Mr. Morrill^ of I In/ton/, on Ihc 

lie was a tirni hclievt-r in the Christian faith and all it iin 
plies. 

Ill this last sail iiieiiiorial seiviee in this Chamber I tender 
to his berel't wife and cliildien heartfelt coiidoleiicc and sym 
pathy. and eummeud them tci our only ^reat Comforter in sueli 
afllietions. 

In beslowinj^ upon 1'ueston B. Plumh the hiyli and re- 
sponsible position he so ably and conspicuously tilled for so 
many years the good people of Kansas honored themselves aud 
gave to the whole eouiitry a faithful and useful Senator, who 
discharged his laborious duties with credit and honor to them 
aud to himself. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Morrill, of Vermont. 

Mr. Mori; 1 1. 1.. Mi . I'le.sident, the early incidents in the life 
of our deceased associate have been already faithfully por 
trayed, but they are so remarkable that they will bear repeti- 
tion. The late Senator Plumb was a man of positive forces of 
character, and forces which swiftly advanced his progress, 
step after step, in various spheres of life, no matter by what 
conditions confronti'd or surrounded, lie seemed to know 
how to make himself u.seful and had the courage to go straight 
altout it. With only a eoinmon school education and .some 
knowledge in I lie art of jirinting, he went from Ohio to Kan 
sas ill lS.l(i, at the age of 111, and of course became familiar 
with the heroic history of that liberty loving State. It was 
not long before be became an editor and pioi)rietor of a new.s- 
paper, and was admitted to the bar in ISfil ; electeil to the 
Kansas Legislature in 1S62, where he was promptly made 
chairman of the judiciary committee, and was soon after made 
the recorder of the supreme court of Kansas. The same year 



Li/f and Clniractrr of Preston II. Pliiiith. 87 

lie eiitert'd tht^ voliiiitcLT service, as .sccuuJ lieutcuiiiit of tlie 
Eleventh Kansas Infantry, and was snecessively made eaptain, 
niajdr, lieutenanlcolonel, and i oloni'l. Again lie was el(^('lcd 
to the Kansas lioiise of representatives in 1S(!(I and cIioschi a.^ 
speaker, and was also a member of the house the following 
year. In 1877, before he was K) years of age. he was elected 
to the Senate of the United States, of which he remained a 
prominent member niitil his decease. 

It will be noticed that the deceased, while yet young, was 
no idler, and so acquitted liimself in all the civil and military 
duties with whicli from time to time he was charged that his 
advance came rapidly and surely. He had not been long in 
the Senate when he informed me. at a time when I hapjiened 
to be a member of the committee to arrange the membership 
of the committees of the Senate, that he was extremely desir- 
ous to be placed where he could do more work, and therefore 
wanted some |)lace on the Committee on Approjiriations. This 
he obtained without objections, and it is needless to mention 
that he handled with tidelity and vigor such bills as were 
alloted to his charge. As chairman of the Committee on Public 
Lands his services were laborious and important, especially 
in rescuing unearned railroad land grants. 

Upon his appearance in the Senate at the opening of the 
present session, his robust form and contideiit bearing gave no 
visible indication of any iutirmity or of any early termiuatiou 
of his earthly (career. Few of his Senatorial associates here 
apparently had a fairer outlook and promise of health and life. 
His sudden demise found us all uniirejiared and enforces the 
oft-repeated truth that the grim messenger, waiting to intro- 
duce us all to the mysteries of another world, is no res2>ecter 
of jiersoiis, but comes in "such an hour as ye think not." 

Since my service l)egan in the Senate the death roll is long, 
including live Presidents and also an e(iual numlier of Vice- 
Presidents. 



88 AiMress of Mr. Morrill^ of I Irz/ioi//, on the 

The SiMiatt' itsflt' is coiuiiioiily reckoned as a conservative 
and preservatixf liody. where '• tew die and none resiyu," but 
til at is confuted l)y the past occurrence of rigorous facts. I 
find today l)ut two lionored Senators here wlio were members 
of tlie Senate at the time of my entrance; and witliin twenty- 
five years the number of those who have died while in office 
or after the expiration of their terms of service is over ninety. 

Some of these ninety Senators were counted in tlieir day as 
among the foremost public men of the Republic, and all of 
them had some real excellence or ability, sonu^ well-marked 
personality, that peculiarly commended them to the favor of 
tlieir n'S|iective States. There weic a few silent members 
wliose judgment in committee work was reverenced as almost 
infallible. Some had that " resistless eloquence " which 
wielded at will their hearers. Others were ready, brilliant, 
and cogent on the spur of the moment in parliamentary debate. 
Those who witnessed the intellectual resources, the wisdom 
and wit often here exhibited, felt sure the speakers would 
''leave sometliing to after time" which the world "would not 
willingly h't die." 

It will still be remembered, I hope, that the Senate has been 
decollated, within the period mentioned, by the services of 
such distiiiguislied meinhers as Sumner and Wilson. i^Iorton 
and Hendricks, Fesseuden and Hamlin. Ben Wade, I'endleton 
and Matthews, Garrett Davis and Heck. Anthony, Fo.ster, 
Van Winkle, I5en. H. Hill. Iveverdy Johnson, Pomeroy. Zach. 
Chandler, Windum, Conkliiig, Howe and .Matt ('aii)enter, 2S'ye, 
Casserly, Dixon, Grimes, Fielinghuy.sen. i)a\id Davis, and 
Logan, as well as by otliers yet living, though no longer mem- 
bers of the Senate; but brevity of Senatorial service liere and 
brevity of life after such service, with few excei)tions, would 
seem to have been the fate of a majority of oui- jiredecessors. 

Senator Plumb delivered his speeches witinuit ncpfes, in a 



Life and Cliaraclcr of Preston li. PliDub. 8I( 

loud, clear voi< c. witli aliDimdiiij;' ;;('sticulatioii, and with \\ 
steam tri|)liaiiiinci rapidity of iil tcianci'. ()l>\i(ni«iy, lie was 
always mucli in carucst, liaviii;^' no t li<iiiiilil of dclral or re- 
treat and dreading no assailant. His iin(iuestional)le aliilily, 
his oeeasioual aggressiveness in debate, his varied intorination, 
gathered from diligent oljservatiou, and his eonsiderabh^ fund 
of mirtli pnivdlviug aiieedotes wlien among his familiar friends 
will serve to iieri)etuate ids name, his individuality, and robust 
traits of uharaeter. 

The deceased Senator was a haid and pushing worker, largely 
interested iu many tiuaueial enterprises, such as banking, 
miuiug, and railroads, and for the latter years of his life it is 
now evident that the miiltii)lied and onerous demands made 
iipon his time and constitution by his Inisiuess affairs, opening 
wider and wider liy their general success, together with otticial 
duties here, and the annual strain of a i>olitical State cam- 
paign, had overtasked and undermined his nervous system 
and great natural strength, lie had not recognized that there 
ever could be any abatement of his normal vigor, noi- contem 
plated rest until it was too late. 

Some years ago I was happy in having made not only the 
ac(iuaintance of Senator Plvmb, but also that of his beloved 
wife and family, some of whom were long-time invalids; and 
no husband or father could exliil)it greater care or t<'nderer 
devotion to whatever tended to promote their health or hap- 
piness. However great the loss may be computed here, it will 
be far greater at the home in Kansas, where the sad affliction 
fixes an incurable grief. We can here only offer our brief 
tribute to the deceased Senator and our deep sympathy with 
his bereaved family. 



90 Adiirtss oj Mr. Daniel, of J 'irginia, on the 



ADDRESS OF MR. DANIEL, OF VIRGINIA. 

Mr. Daniel. Mr. President, life — it.s (•(mdition.s, develo]) 
nu'iits. and iniprovemeuts — i.s the constant snl)jeet of prog^re.ss- 
ive thonght. We learn mncli of its laws. We sueeor its weak- 
ness. Wf sharpen its faculties. We diversify its usefulness. 
We enrich it witli learning. We adorn it with trophies. We 
regale it with sculpture and i)icturo and song. Science repairs 
its iiitirmitii's and may even inoloug its days. Hut wliat know 
wc III' death .' Nil nunc I liau lie wlm lirsr stuod awe-struck and 
mystified and dunil) l)ef(ire one dead. Philosophy tenders its 
consolations. The universal instinct of man reaches through 
the darkness with yearning to live forever. The dream of 
immortality floats through ''life's fitful fever" and Christianity 
cheers the ho|)e ol a lite beyond the graxc. ()m- dull senses 
fail us under the burden of thoughts too vast for coniprehen 
sion or too subtle to be put iu words. The infinite touches us, 
the finite, with a point of hope, and then time and space en- 
velope us with mysteries imj)enetrable. Vet whatever we 
believe or fancy, oiu' thing we know: We know we are in our 
Maker's hands. We kiu)w that God is on the other side of the 
river of life to whi(di we go, even as He was on the side from 
which we came. Where lie is it must be well. Let us be 
comforted; we are in our Maker's keeping. 

Such hours as these, spent in comnuunoration of those who 
havi- Ii\'ed and lai)ored with us, are not to be begrudged. It has 
been remarked that o\-er twenty days ol' the Fifty-first Con- 
gress were consumed in rites for the dead, and some have sug- 
gested that we should devote the Sabbath to them, that legis 
lation may uuiiiterru|itedly proceed. 1 am sure that this view 
can not spring from indili'erence to the memories of the dc 



/.//(• and Chnractrr of Preston />'. I'lnnib. !tl 

pnrti'il; it s])iiiiL;s ratliiT tVoiii the sti';iiii ot |iul)lic duty iiml 
the IiuimIcii ot' iHililic cure. Those who h;i\e Hot cxiMTit'liccd 
what those duties :ni(l liuidens :iic have hut little eonceptioii 
of their inultitiuh' or their iuasiiitu(h'. The U'gishitix'e atlaiis 
of over sixty millions of people eoneentrate liere in the lian<ls 
of little more than four hundred men; their labors begin with 
the earliest movements of business in the niorninji'; they elose 
only in the deep middle of the night, when sleep is upon man. 
For the legislative public servant there is uo eight-hour law, 
nor twelve-hour law. 

The correspondenee of a Senator or Representative, his com- 
mittee work, and his business with the De])artm<'nts would 
each consume the full time of a hardworking man. Yet when 
these tasks are done there remains yet undone the main work 
of his mission here, the enactment of laws for a great nation, 
comprehending the complex concerns of forty-four Common 
wealths, unified as a Republic, in whose immensity is prefig 
ured the universal nation. The many deaths amongst members 
of Congress is i)robal)ly tlue more to the strain upon their 
mental and physical faculties than to any other cause, and in 
the death of the distinguished Senator whom we mourn to-day 
there is but little doubt that this cause found its natural efiect 
and gathered to the dust its latest victim. 

Senator Plumb was all aglow with his tasks. He loved his 
work and his work grew upon him. His restless, active, ear 
nest, aggressive nature knew uo stop or stay. He seized upon 
his tasks with avidity. He grapjiled with tliem as he would 
assail a fortress; he clung to them with relentless diligence 
and dispatched them with fervid zeal. But as he curtailed in 
one direction they grew in another. The water ran into the 
ship faster than the sailor could bail it out. His work con- 
sumed him even as he consumed it; he was rolling the stone 
of Sisy])hus. and as he rolled it up the hill it rolled back and 
over him — and he is dead I 



!i2 .It/t/rtss <>/ Mr. Daniel, of I 'irgiiiia, on the 

Born in Ohio in 1S.!7, \\v died siukk'nly in tlie city ol' Wash- 
injrton on the I'Otli day of Di'L-einber last, in the very fulluess 
of Ills rciiiaikable career. A oominoii-scliool cdncation and a 
l)iinter's appieutice.shiii constituted his eiiuipmeut for the bat- 
tles of life. Kre he was 1*0 years of af;e he naijrrated to Kan- 
sas and there settled. In that fiesh younj^ .State, with its 
lecniing opportunities, he found a fitting theater fur his indus- 
trious, a.spiriiig nature, and his career was upwanl and onward 
until he filled a great si)ace and became an inii)ortant factor 
in the att'airs of iiis State and country. 

Coniiugto the bar in 18(il, his diligence ere long won foi him 
tlie i)osition of reporter of tlic supreme court. luitering the 
army as a second lieutenant. In- passed the successive grades 
of captain, major, and lieutenant colonel, and at the close of 
hostilities was the commander of his regiment. Kntering 
legislative .service as a nu'mber of the constitutional con\-ention 
of 1850, he was elected to the lower house of the Legislature 
in 1SC2 and bec-anie chairman of its Judiciary comnuttee. 
Again a legislator in 1S07, he was chosen sjjeaker. Ten years 
later he was elected I 'iiited States Senator :in<l twice he was 
lei'lected to succeed himself. lie was the uatural ottspring of 
the boundless opiwrtunities of a free laud and a true type of 
the progressive Western man of this rushing age. With a 
constitution of iron, he |)lungcd into the seething currents of 
political and business life. Vigor iiiarkcd all his ctforts, suc- 
cess crowned bis undertakings, and, as lawyer, statesman, sol- 
dier, and business man, he reaped rewards and honors. The 
continued support and confidence bestowed n|ioii liim by his 
people better bespoke his capacities and ilic esteem in which 
he was held than any eulogy of words. 

His tiaiiung as a parliamentarian and lawyer and legislator 
prepaicil jiini well lor his duties here, and for many years he 
took a eonsj)icuous pail in framing and discussing measures 



Life and Cliaracter of Preston /.'. Plumb. M3 

before this hotly. As ;i (lel>;itcr lie ranked liiuii. (,>uick in i)er- 
ception, leady anil eaufi- tor actinn. positive, direct, and ag- 
gressive in Ins methods, he lost no lime in striking at the 
main point and against it lie liiiih'ii his stores of facts and 
figures with decisive aim. The lighter adjuncts of debate, the 
play of humor and the tlight of laney, he seldom ealleil into 
requisition. Plain iu manner, unaffeeted in style, strong iu 
l)nrpose. caring little for ornament and all for matter, ever 
earnest and forcible and often imi)assioned, he discussed no 
subject that he did not illumine with contributions of thought 
and knowledge. 

Senator Plumb was a man of affairs. The character of his 
mind was eminently practical. His executive capacities were 
great. At the head of any great enterprise he would have 
made his mark. From the beginning he looked toward the 
end, subordinating theory to acconiplishment, and result was 
the goal on which his eyes were fastened and to which his steps 
ever hastened. Well informed on public matters and keeping 
pace with advanced thought on leading questions, he moved 
with the pioneers of his party to their solution. As a rule he 
never separated from his political ]iarty by going too far 
ahead or lagging behind, and he was an intense, earnest 
Eepublicau. But he was independent and self-ieliant. He 
kept in touch with his constituents. His sympathies were 
with popular interests, and time and again he voted his con- 
victions for lighter taxation and for liberal financial legislation 
regardless of the majority of his political associates agaiust 
liim. 

The eagerness of his disposition made vSenator Plumb a par- 
tisan, and the struggles iu his State, where couteuding ideas 
came in fierce collision, doubtless fired his enthusiasm and in- 
tensified his convictions. But as the years of peace rolled by 
their ameliorating influences were exemplified iu his conduct. 



fM Address of Mr. Daitii/, of I 'irs^iiiia, on the 

I recall this day with plfasmc that in ail the disiussioiis hcrel 
never oiue ln-ard iiiin utter \v<ird.s of bitterness towards my 
section or its people. In I lie restoration of the South he took 
deep interest. He was loath to interfere with the },'ood iiillii- 
ences which were at work to harmonize its elements aud to re- 
store its prosperity, and the partisan felt the impulses of the 
patriot in dealing with (jnestions that touched the structure of 
society aud the welfare of the p«'ople. 

When I came to the Seuate in 1887 Senator Plumh had long 
beeu oue of its leading members. My ac([uainran('e w ith him 
then began. In hisniaikcd (•diirfesy and kiiiiliicss to nie, \\ liich 
he went out of his way to manifest, he impressed me with a 
sense of his amiable and sociable disposition and excited grate- 
ful regards, which I shall long cherish. Two instances, small 
in them.selves, gave mc an iiisiuht into his character. Once in 
debate he used words which grated very harshly upon me and 
I thought them unprovoked. Stifling the impulse to respond 
resentfully, 1 went, as soon as lie took his seat, to his side and 
called his attention to them. With a beaming smile on his 
face he.stretched outhishaud to me, aud what he said instantly 
removed all uniilcasantness. and his act and words were so 
frank and gracious tiiat I felt strongly drawn to him. 

Again, I went one day to speak to him at liis desk: papers 
and books were piled up before Iiim and lie seemed absorbed 
in the maze of statistical fa<-tsand lignres, but tiie book before 
him was not of the kind I expected to see. "Ifyouwishto 
read something lovely," he said, •' read this,'' and he handed 
me Arnold's Light of Asia, with a marked jiasgage of ex- 
(piisite beauty; and he added, as 1 expressed surjirise at see- 
ing him with such a book at such a time, such words as these, 
" Oh, I am r(!ading this to rest myself from these weary tasks." 

I know full well, fiom soiirees that I need not nan\e, of acts 
of kindness done by Senator I'li'MH which could only come 



Life and Cliaractcr of Pfcslou />'. I'lituih. 95 

fVoiii a lu'urt toui-licd wiMi the -ciilli' cliaiities nl' liuiiiaiiity. 
Uiidcriu'ath his stroiij;- and suiiii'l iiiics i()u,i;li exterior tliere 
were recesses of tender tliou.ylit and leelinu whieli soiiylit ex- 
pression in good deeds. 

(!one from us to rotuni in> more; fallen in liis prime; taken 
in the twinkling of an eye to liis long lioine, may his good deeds 
embalm his memory and bear solace to those to whom he was 
nearest and dearest; and may we not ho])e that he rests well 
now from his weary tasks and that it is true, as the Asian 
prophet says? 

With death the sunrise roiiics; 

The dewdi'oji slips into the sliiiiing sea. 



ADDRESS OF MR. DOLPH, OF OREGON. 

I\lr. DoLiMi. Mr. President, we have laid aside for an hour 
the basiuess of the Senate, matters of state which demand at- 
tention, questions of politics which array us against one another 
and lead to acrimonious discussion and mutual deiuxnciation, 
to unite, with saddened hearts and subdued utterances, in 
paying our last tribute of res])ect to the memory of our de- 
])arted brother. 

I should feel condemned if I failed to add my liumlile tribute 
to the eulogies already ])ronounced and to be ]ironouiieed to 
the memory of our colleague. He was one of the tirst of the 
members of this l)ody when I entered the Senate to welcome 
me; and with his aid 1 was i)hiced upon the Committee on 
Pixblic Lands, of which he was chairman, and our interccmrse 
was thenceforth most pleasant and friendly. I was greatly 
shocked by his death and felt that I had lost a personal friend. 

We are again renunded of our UKn-tality and that great use- 
fulness, jniblic h(Uiors, and exalted jiosition furnish no exemii- 
tion from the shafts of the insatiate archer. "])eatli nu-ets 



9t! Address of Mr. Dolph, of Oregon, on the 

lis everywhere and is pmciued by every instrument." It is 
the law of our being, the unalterabh^ decree of Heaven. In an 
unexpected hcmr he eonies, and ihf lauicl is clianued into 
«-yi»ress, tlie e(iui])a{jre of earthly i)(>\ver into the pall and the 
hearse. I\Ian gathers riches. Ue spends his days for the 
things which ]»erish with their using. He secures wealth and 
power and ])ositioii and is snatched away and others enter into 
his labors and enjoy the things which cost liiui his life. In tlie 
pride of the strength of nianliood. in the full possession of his 
natural i)ow(>rs, in the zenitli of his usefulness, in the court- 
<lence and estci-iii of liis culleagues in this Clianiber and of his 
countrymen, with anil)itions for greater iutlueuce and bright 
ho]ics for the future, unexpectedly and almost without notice 
the messenger came to him we mourn. In th(> morning the 
summons came and before the moining's sun had leached its 
meridian Ids sjiirit had left its earthly tenemeni and \\inged 
its Higlit to gi\e an account to the Author of its existence. 

When we last saw him and lieard him upon tliis tloor lie was 
the apparent embodiment of health and strength and seemed 
to have the promise of many years of usefulness and activity 
before him. None would liave made tlie iir(i|)liccv that the 
lirst seat to be vacated in tiie Senate would be that of the 
senior Senator from Kansas. 

I sliall not atteni|ii td lecnnni ilie ineideiits of the life and 
the public .services of Senator 1'limh. Tliat duty lias already 
l)een well performed by those better (pialirted foi- the task. 
During my service ujion the Committee on Public Lands many 
important ni:itters were biciught Ijefore the comnuttee for 
cou.sideiatiou, and I had ample o])j)ortuuity to judge of the 
caiiacity of our deceased l)roliier. Hi' was always quick to 
])erceive a i)oint and had an amazing aliility to ])rcsent his 
views forcibly an<l tersely, lie was a growing man. His 
mental powers were kept in eonstant tcMisjon. His wonderful 



Life and Cliaractcr of Preston B. Pl/niib. 97 

ability to gra.sp a qiu'sti<m, to gather and retain itiibrnuition 
eoueerning it, and present hi.s views upon it, inereased with 
every year. The clearness and Wgor of his intellect have been 
too often shown in this Chamber to be questioned. We were 
all often surprised at the masterly manner with which he 
absorbed information and presented measures pending in the 
Senate. 

T think I do no man an injustice when I saj' that, for untir- 
ing industry, exliaustless energy, tor ability to comprehend 
a subject and present a proposition, and power to produce 
results in legislation, no man in the Senate or who has been 
a member since I entered it surpassed Senator Plumb. He 
possessed in an unusual degree the rude elenuHits so well suited 
to successful conflicts in pioneer life. It is true that he lacked 
the polish which is given by a college education, that he did 
not possess the graces of oratoiy; but he had been schooled in 
the experiences of frontier life, in the great struggle between 
freedom and slavery in Kansas, in the camp, on the march, 
and in the shock of battle in defense of the Union, upon the 
stuni]) in the great political contests since the war. by partici- 
pation in the promotion and prosecution of great business 
enterprises for the develo]>nient of his State and the country at 
large, in the sharp encounters of the debates of this CMianiljcr, 
and in the multifarious public duties of his long and successful 
career. 

What he lacked in polish and discipline imparted by schools 
he moie than made up liy his native ability, his knowledge of 
men and of practical aftnirs, his directness and mental force, 
the abundance, simplicity, and clearness of his style. If the 
masterly use of ])lain, terse, vigorous, and logical English, 
which carries cimviction and secures the sympathies of one's 
auditors, is eloquence, he was eloquent. 

He detested shams, hypocrisy, and display, and aflei-ted to 

despise titles and distinctions of worldly lionor. He was too 
S. Mis. 22S 7 



98 Address of Mr. Dolp/i, of Oregon, on the 

busy for the duties of social life and ai)i)areiitly indifferent to 
the laws of so-called society. He neither feared danj,'er nor 
shrank from responsibility. He thought for himself and formed 
his own couelusions, and by his utterances and his votes in 
this body sometimes antagonized his party; but in an emer- 
gency, when his vote was needed to carry a ])arty measure, 
never failed it. 

His conception of the mission of man upon this earth ap- 
peared to be similar to that of Chapin when he wrote, '• Man 
was sent into the world to be a growing and exhaustless force. 
The world was si)rcad out around him to be seized and con- 
quered. Kca I II IS (if in 111 lite truth liiust iipcii aliove him. inviting 
him to tread those shining courts along which Newton dropped 
his plummet and Herschel sailed, a Columbus of the skies." 

The history of the State he served so I'aitlifully can not be 
fairly written but his name will be found inscribed on almost 
every page, and his labors will be chronicled in the account of 
the years of her early struggles aud of her later pros])erity, 
and in the history of Congress, since he occupied a seat in this 
Hall, his work will form a conspicuous part. 

Thousands of hearts have been nuide glad and thousands of 
honu'S made brighter, not only in Kansas, but in other States 
of the Cniou. by his aid, and thousands felt a sense of personal 
loss wlieu he died. I was a member of the committee whicli 
accompanied the remains of our lamented brother to his West- 
ern home and assisted in the last sad rites over them. No 
tribute we can bring to the menuiryof our deceased frieiul can 
equal that of the people of his own State and of his fellow 
townsmen, « lio, on our iiioiunl'ul journey througli the State 
and at his funeral, vied with one another to show their sorrow 
and respect. We fouiul the State literally in mourning. The 
peopli' who congregated at the ca])ital of the State and at the 
citv of his residence were not drawn together lor a holiday or 



Li/f and C/iarac/cr of Preston B. J'/initd. !i!l 

fi'om idle ciuio.sity. Eveiywlicie were seen tlic liadfi'es of 
TiKiniiiinj;. rpoii every (•ouiitenancc uiirei},nH'(l sorrow was 
depietetl. On every side were the expressions of both jmhlic 
loss aud private sorrow. The general manifestations of sorrow 
were not so much for the loss of a pulilic servant as for a i)er- 
sonal friend. Few men in public life have managed to so 
identify themselves with the people and to secure their love and 
confidence. 

After we entered the State of Kansas, at nearly every station 
were tlie scarred veterans of the late war, with the flags of the 
Grand Army posts draped in niourninj;-. The universal mourn- 
ing, the sense of sorrow and loss which pervaded tiie scene and 
seemed to hang like a leaden pall over the entire State and to 
dim the bright sunshine of the splendid December days, found 
its center and culminating point in the liome and family of the 
deceased. Impressive indeed were the simple services in that 
tar Western home, in the presence of the stricken wife and 
children, the mourning relatives and intimate friends of the de- 
ceased. The solemnity and sacredness of the occasion made 
me almost feel as if my presence was an intrusion. In God's 
acre, near the city he helped to found and whose prosperity 
he ever labored to promote, in the State of his adoption, in the 
glorious sunlight of a December day, under the auspices of 
the Grand Army of the Republic, and with the touching and 
beautiful ceremonial of their order, the mortal remains of our 
lamented lir(jther were committed to Mother Earth to await the 
resurrection day. 

His work is done. His restless activity, his tireless energy, 
no longer have part or lot in the affairs of earth. The seasons 
will come and go, spring flowers will grow about his grave, 
winter storms will beat upon it, but liis senseless ear will not 
be reached with tlie voice of approbation or of censure. 

As death invades our ranks and removes a colleague from 



100 .liMrcss of Mr. Dolph, of Oregon, on tlw 

our miinlx'i- :iiiil causes a pause in tin- busy scenes of the 
Senate, luiw are we reminded of the shortness and uncer- 
tainty of liunian life! Staudinj;- by llie new math- jriaves of 
Hearst, tif Wilson, and of Plumb, and mentally asking our 
selves who of our luimber will next be singled out by the grim 
archer, can we fail to be impressed with the vanity of earthly 
things.' How iiisignilicani all t hose things for which wc luil 
are when we reflect that the end of earthly things will surely 
come to us as it came to them I Position, i)ower, intluence, 
how little can tln'y minist(>r for consolation at such a time! In 
s\i(li an iioui liiimaii sympathy is una\ailiiig. 'I'licrc is but 
one cciiisnlatioii. Ilial wliicli comes to stricken hearts from the 
iiope that death is not the end of man, a belief that answers 
in the atlirmative the ([uestion •• If a man die, shall he live 
again?" and eiial)les its ])ossessor to look forward to a n-uniou 
with the lo\c(l ami lust ticyund the gra\-e. where sickness and 
sorrow and deatli can not enter. 

^Vhen the minister who conducted liie leligioiis services at 
his funeral suggested that although his eventful and acti\e 
life was closed here our dei)arted colleague nught be entering, 
in another worlrl. njion the activities of a nobler life which 
would be itumorlal. the remark seemed to bring to me the 
thought ot a I'utiire life with new meaning, t hat of act ivity, 
usefulness, and (le\-elopnielit. I.cl us be consoled with the 
hope that the energies of our dei)arted brother have tbuinl on 
wider lields and in more delightful employment op]iortunities 
for renewed activity. 

Socrates, when about to (liiiik the lieiiilo<k. consoled his 
friends by saying: "If the soul be immortal ami peipetual re 
wards lie laid uji for wise souls, theti 1 lose nothing by my 
death; liut. if it be not, then 1 lose nothing by my o])inion; 
f(u- it supports my spirit in its passage and tlie evil of being 
deceived can m)t overtake nie when I have no being." 



Life and Lharaclcr of rrcUoii />'. I'luinh. inl 

The Christ iiui <1(kvs not, like Socnites, f;T(>lie in darkness and 
luieertaiuty to lind the evideuee of iinniDitality, but his hdjie, 
built upon the iinmiiscs cdnlaiued in (iod's rcNcalcd will !<► 
man, looks forward to a brij^htcr litr ol' clfrnal Idesscduc.s.s and 

.j"y- 



ADDRESS OF Mr, ALLISON, OF lOWA. 

Mr. Allison. -Air. President, as has been said, it is titting 
that we should from tinu' to time oeeupy a brief [leriod in pay- 
iui; tribute to our departed brethren in this body. My knowl- 
edge of Senator Plumi! and my relations to him during nearly 
the entire time of his service here make it titting that 1 should 
say something on this oeeasion. His death was sudden and 
wholly unexpected to his associates in thisOhamber. He h:id 
just emerged from active participation in the reorganization of 
the committees of this body, always a dilhcidt task at the be- 
ginning of a Congress. I reniendu'r that only a day or two 
before his death he said to me that that reorganization had 
taken much time and given him considerable anxiety, because 
of the large uumber of new Senators entering the body, and 
he was glad it had been so well and so satisfactorily arranged 
and disjjosed of, little thinking for the moment that the next 
business of the committee of which he was an active member 
would be to arrange to fill the places which he himself occu- 
pied. 

1 shall not enter into the details of the life and services of 
Senator Phimb prior to his entrance into this body. That has 
already been done grai)hically l)y his colleague [Mr. Peffer] 
and by others who ha\e preceded me. It is a most interest- 
ing and instructive story to those who may study his life and 
public service. It discloses his aggressive spirit and his com 



102 .-liM/tis 11/ Mr. .lliiiou^ oj Jdwa^ on the 

bative nature, stt Wfll desnibeil by the Senator from Virjiinia 
[Mr. Danikls]. These were not only natural to liim, liut in a 
larj^e ileg:rec were the result of his early education, training, 
and assoi-iation. When he souglit a new home lif migrated to 
the new Territory of Kansas, and doubtless the situation there 
induced hiui to leave his native State to participate in the 
struggles tliere. Nr> one knew better than he at that time the 
natuic of the contest waging there. He has described to me 
many times the portion of that journey wiiicli lay through my 
own State. He and his little baud of companions landed on 
the west bank of the Mississipjii, at Davenport, in Iowa, and 
and with wagons containing small arms and a I'poundcr field 
piece, in addition to their ordinary luggage, they traversed the 
State of Iowa from the r\Iississii)i)i to the Mis.souri. 

It was no holiday journey to them. They were to take pai't 
in thai great ineliniinary coutlict in the Slate of ivansas which 
sliook this nation afterward and reverberated around the 
world. Mr. Pi>i>in took active part in that conllict from ISoO 
to isiil, and then in the larger conflict that followed, and, when 
tliat had ended, he returned to Kansas and took an active i)art 
in tile develo])meiii and growth of the State. That growth 
was remarkable not only as to the character of its Ijeginning, 
but in all stages of its de^■elopulellt later on. Uis personality 
was .so consi)icnous, his ability was so well recognized among 
liis a.ssoeiates and .so commanding, as to make it fitting that 
the Legislature of the State should designate him as one of its 
Senators at the early age of 4(t. Hut few men, in the strug- 
gles and activities that lead to this Chamber, reach it at this 
ea'ly age. I ilouhi if tliere are more than three or four of 
tnose now in this body who reached it at the age of 40. 

When I heard tin- di.stinguished Senator from Illinois [Mr. 
Palmer], in his able s])eech this morning on his i>roposed 
amendment, recounting the dreams of the fathers of the Cou- 



Life and Chanicter of J'rrs/oit />. Plumb. 103 

sritutidii as t(i wiiat tlir Senate was likely to he, fliat is, that it 
would be eoinpo.seil (if the most eniiiieiit men <if' the sexcial 
States, my mind roeiirred at once to Senator I'l.iMU as a (lis 
tinguislied illustration of the realization of that dreani, not 
only as respt'cts liis being one of the stronsiest men in his 
State, but also as an illusti-ation of the fact that duiini;- all his 
period of service here he largely and trnly represeiiteil the 
sentiment of his State and its people upon the jnihlic (pies- 
tions that from time to time have appeared here foi' i)nblic de- 
bate and legislative action. 

I first became personally acqnaiiited with Senator Plttmb 
on his entrance here as a member of this body. lu ^lareh, 
1881, by the accidents and chances of this Chamber, it so hap- 
j)ened that three Senators from the Democratic side left the 
Senate who were members of the Committee on Apjirojiria- 
tious, leaving npon the committee as Democrats Senator Davis 
of West Virginia and Senator Beck, the Democrats having a 
majority of the committee during the Forty-sixth Congress. 
It so happened also that at that time the term of one Kejnib- 
licau Senator, also a member of the committee, ceased, and 
two other Republicans, Senator Blaine and Senator Windom, 
both members of the committee, were invited into the Cabinet 
of President Garfield. So but three members of the conunittee 
in the Forty-sixth Congress were left when the Forty-seventh 
began. The Republican party was in the majority tben, and 
Senat(us Logan, Dawes, Hale, and Pli'mis were added to the 
Committee cm Appropriations from the Republican side and 
Senators Ransom and Cockrell from the Democratic side. 

Thus a majority of the members of the committee were new 
in its service, although Senators Logan, Dawes, and Hale had 
Lad large experience on the committee in the House of Repre- 
sentatives. Thus newly organized the committee entered upon 
its important work. 



104 .-iddress of Mr. .l/Zison, of /owa, on Ihe 

St'uatur PuMB filtered upuu the work with zeal and hroufrht 
to theconsideraiinii of tlie subjects considered his great ability, 
untirin;; industry, and active watchfulness, and snoii iHM'auie 
laniiliar with the work, and continued until the time of his 
death as one of its most ellicieut, faithful, and devoted mem- 
bers. No task assigiH'd liiin was left undone or partially done. 

lie jiatiently investigated every detail, not only as to the 
bills in his special charge, but in committee gave full atten- 
tion to all the great appropriation liills annually reporteil to 
carry on the Government, and always participated in tlie 
debates that followed upon contested points in the Senate, 
thus contributing largely and actively in the solution of ques- 
tions coming from that commltt*'e. So in conference with the 
otiiir Hiiuse, tenacious of the \iews of the Senate, he was 
always willing to reach a conclusion by fair ami just compro- 
mise of contlicting opinions developed between the two Ilouses. 
So that he was a most able, valuable, and useful member of the 
committee lor liu yeais. 

During this time death has laid a heavy hand upon the mem- 
bers of the committee. First Gen. Logan, then Senator Beck, 
and last, but not least in any sense. Senator Pltmb. 

Although nni early trained in the aits of tlie schools, I need 
not say to older members of this (Jhamber that he was one of 
its ablest and most aceom|ilished debaters, not in the orna- 
mentations that eliciiaeterizeil liis speeeli, but in the persuasive- 
ness and |M)wer of his aiguiiients. Whilst he always had a 
purpose, and a will to execute that purpose, he was patient in 
its accomplishment. I could give many illustrations of this. 
1 need give but one. For many years he desired, as did the 
jieople of the Southwest, not only the far Southwest, in Texas, 
but ill the adjacent States of Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas, 
that the Indian Territory, which was held there as in a sack, 
should be ojieiied up to settlement by the citizens of the United 



Life and CItayacler of Prcsloii />'. Plumb. 105 

States, ill (iidcr tliat that rcninn iiiij;lit lie more raiiidly devel- 
oped. Indian treaties and <il)llyaliiins to tlic live tribes were 
ill tlie way. Tiieie were tiiose w iui s(mij;1i1 to open tliis Terri- 
tory without repud to our treaty ohliuations witli the Indians. 

If the statutes rciatiiii;- to tiiis sniijcM't and the debates lead- 
ing to their pas^sag•e are examined, it will lie seen Iliat Senator 
Plujib was the pioneer in this ('hamlier, ;is 1 believe his siie- 
cessor, ;\Ir. Perkins, Mas in the other, of a series of statiit(rs 
that have resulted in the establishment of the Territory of 
Oklahoma, and whieh will result in the future in absorbing 
into a single civilized State of the Union all there is now left 
of what was known for mauy years as the ludiau Territory. 
Senator Plumb, with his energy, his watchfalness of opportune 
times, with his power of persuasion and his patienee, accom- 
plished as much if not more in this Chaniber and in Congress 
for the region that he more immediately represented than any 
other Senator upon this floor, and I do not wish to disparage 
other Senators or their efforts. 

When he went to the Territory of Kansas it was sparsely in- 
liabited, and only on the margin of its great river, and was 
practically an Indian reservation. Its prairies were as wild as 
the flowers that grew upon tliem, and the streams of Kansas 
had only recently reflected the face of the white nuui, if we 
except the travelers that crossed it to the Paeiflc Ocean. 
When the State of Kansas was admitted in 18(il it had only a 
fraction over one hundred thousand people. So even when 
Senator Plumb came into this Chamber many of the questions 
arising out of Indian reservations and homestead settlements 
and the oeeupati(Ui of the pidiHc lands were unsettled and 
re(iuired legislation to make sure the titles to the lands of 
those who had taken homesteads or made purchases for homes* 
all of these difflcult (juestious received his assiduous care. 

He was representing a new State, so truly characterized by 



106 Address of Mr. Allison, of fozra, on the 

tht' Sriiatdi- iKiiii Kansas, his collcafruf [Mr. PcHcrj. as a State 
abnoriual iu its growth, which is witliout a parallel in the his 
tory of any State in the Union. That jrrowth carried inlu the 
State of Kansas. (lnrin<r his service of fourteen years in this 
Chainliei-, a i»o]>ulation equal to one-half ot' the present popu 
lation. So Senator Pi.umb had not only the.se great interests 
ill tills Chamber to support and sub.serve, but lir liail also the 
jirivatc wishes an<l wants and needs of a new and raiiidly 
growing constituency in the various Executive Departments. 

I have often thought that Senators in this Chamber repre- 
senting more easteiix States have InU little knowledge of the 
immense detail of business that a rcjiresentative in this Cham- 
ber of a Western State has as respects the public lands, as 
respects (piestions growing out of the Indian situation, and 
above all as respects questions growing out of the pension 
legislation and the needs of applicants for pensions. A reeur- 
ren<-e to the statistics of pensioners will disclose the fact that 
in i)roiiortion to the population the State of Kansas has a 
larger number of pensioners than any other State in tliis I'liion. 
The tendency of the men who served in the war and who are 
drawing ])ensions from our Government was for many years to 
migrate westward from the older States of the Tnion. There- 
fiiic it was that Senator Pi^UMR hail upon liis shoulders during 
the fourteen years of his i)ublic service not only the great ijues- 
tions which always arise aft'ecting the whole country which he 
liarticipated in here so fully and so ably in debate and other- 
wise, but he also had i it her great questions of a si)ecial and 
local character requiring legislation and careful attentinii in 
the Departments. All these retpiired constant and continuous 
etiort. So he was, as stated by tlii' Senator from Missniiii 
[Mr. ('0ckrell|. a worker in season and nut of season. 

I!ul with all tills he had an ambition alxive and beyond, so 
well stated bv his colleague, and that was an ambition t > sue 



Life aiui Character of Prcsloii Ji. Pliiinb. 107 

(■ei'Cl in a l)usinfss way. Whilst lie was <'ii<ja-c.l Ii.mv in liis 
public work and Icavin.i;- notiiini;' nndonc tiiat rcquircil iiis at- 
tention, he iMi-ajicd in enterprises and activities not only in 
his own State, hut in many other States. He had eaus-ht that 
spirit of speculation and tlirift and enerj^y incident to the new 
State of Kansas, which inclined him to make ventures in other 
fields of investment, where safe and ])rolital>]e. 

He often (littered with his party friends in this Chamber as 
respects public measures, and did not hesitate to express his 
views with courage. But he also believed that in a free gov- 
ernment like <Mirs we would in the future as heretofore have 
government by paity as respects i)ublic policies and public 
measures; so he always acted with the Kei)ublicaii party, aud 
was one of its leaders, because he believed that it more nearly 
reflected his views upcm great public (piestions than any other. 

So, Mr. President, I pay this brief tribute to our departed 
friend, knowing how imperfect it is. 

His career is one of the most remarkable aud unique in our 
history. Without early opportunity, such as is the fortune of 
most of those who enter this Chamber, by his ability, his 
energy, his force of c-haracter, he forged his way to the highest 
place of power and influence in this body and in the country. 
His as.sociates here, the people of his own State, and the 
couutrv at large mourn his loss and revere his memory. 



ADDRESS OF MR. TURPIE, OF INDIANA. 
Mr. TuBiMi-,. :Mr. President, Preston B. Plumb, the late 
Senator from Kansas, was an excellent tjTe of the class of 
statesmen belonging to tlie era which tbllowed the civil war. 
His public or ofti.MnI life commenced during the period of that 
great conflict, ami in its course was nearly equally divided be- 



1">< .liic/rtss of Mr. Tiirpii . of Indiana, on the 

twi'i'ii sfivice to his State aiul tlie iiittion. Liviiij;' in a tk'bat- 
abli- and border laud, where smothered war was the condition 
hin{^ belure hostilities bi-canu' thi}>ranl. scliiinlt d liy the roii^^h 
disrijibne incident thereto, he had been a soldier even bel'ore 
he joined the army of the Union. His bearinj:; was always 
that of the soldier; not the trained regular, bnt the volnnteer 
will) had taken np arms for a ceilain cause wiiii^a certain lair- 
liose. . 

("hosen to a seat ill the Senate of the United States at the 
ajie of 40. without ppevious Congressional exjierience, he from 
the lirst took and alw avs afterwards retained a conspicuous ]iart 
in the debates and proceedings of this branch of the National 
Legislature. Such a jjosition, under these circumstances, could 
only have been assumed by one of (juick apprehension, of sn- 
l)erior address, strong convictions, and jiowers of rapid gen- 
eralizatiiiii, tiaits in iiis character well iiiaikcd and recognized. 
His frequent participation in debate did not lessen his work 
in private conference ur in the cumniittee room. 

'flu- cast of his mind was in all things practical. He was 
thoroiigiily ilcviited lo the realities of life. To be of use — cif 
present use — to those whom he immediately rejireseiitcil and 
the larger constituency of the whole country, this was the 
aim id' his ambition. In tlie pursuit of it he exhibited a hos- 
pitality of spiiit, an expansive sympalhy, ami an enthusiasm 
ever fresh; welcomed clieerfidly all labor, all dilliculties. all 
detractions which might attend it. Though ordinarily a zeal- 
ous and steadfast partisan, he sometimes left the <'anip of hi.s 
political associates to stand upmi \\\\:\\ lie cleeiiied to lie the 
side of the jieople. 

Chargecl in conversation upon a recent occasion of this sort, 
half jocosely, with desertion, he answered, "1 am no deserter: 
1 have joined — I have only just now Joined — ihe force touhich 
1 belong in this light." 



Life and Characirr of Preston />'. riiinih. 10!) 

Tlioii-li he IVcqiifiitly Mildifssod tlic Sciiatf he aid not coii- 
liiic hiiiisolf to a siii.i;lf tli.Miic. lit' spoke, and sitokc \v<dl, 
iij)on a widf ranjii' of sulijcits. 

The Mtylf was like tlic man, robust, (aiiirst. animated. 
The salient iioints of a ipiestion he seleeted witli nneiiin.u 
discernment. Ontln'se lie dwelt— seldom made or snilered a 
diversion. His manner of reasoniiij' was incisive, direct. He 
often tiaveled across lots to a coiielusion stated with clearness, 
force, and brevity. He dealt not much with the old past or its 
hist(ny. not even with that of his own eoiintry. The past for 
him was the iieriodjnst before the war. It was not often that 
he alluded to a date more ancient. Indeed, in a life crowded 
with action he had not much op])ortuuity, perhaps little taste, 
for contemplative .study or research. 

To the (piestious of the day he gave the answers of the day, 
of the hour, as they were sujigested by a mind self taught, 
well furnished, and of singular vigor and originality. 

From the multiplicity of his lalxns and maiafold variety of 
the public affairs in which lie was employed and coucerued, it 
is not probable that he usinilly made mor<' than one examina- 
tion of the subject in argument. He looked but ouce, but in 
that one look he saw more than most of us. lie was too much 
hurried to liave derived his strength from pndonged deliber- 
ation; it came rather from his swiftness of vision and his ca- 
pacity instantly to summon his intellectual facuHies at their 
best to his support. Leisure he did not desire; he had not 
reached that period of life when one of his mental character- 
istics uught have enjoyed it. 

After a service of nearly fifteen years in this body, he died 
at the age of oi. He had scarcely passed the midsummer of 
his days. Autumn may liave slightly tinged his views of men 
aud things iu the world as he had at first seen them, but he 
had taken no measured retrospect even of his owu career; the 



110 Address of Mr. Tiirpic, of Indiana, on the 

winter of ajLji.' he had imi iclt. ('<iulil In- liave laiiicil \\:th us 
louf^er, remainiiijj as he would a nieiuhiT nl' tins Ixidy. \\ hat nl' 
profit lui-rht we not have expected aud received t'roni the ^^-aWx- 
ered wisdom, the reasoned experience from the lar<;e <;rowth 
in statesuianshii» which most certainly awaited his maturer 
years ? 

W lial can any account lie of such a life, closing so prema- 
turely, but a sketch .' Tin- life itself was merely an outline, a 
desifrn unfinished. 

I recollect very well an elocpient digression of this Senator, 
which we heard with delight during the session of the last Con- 
gress. The inunediate subject of discussion was irrigation. 
Some measure relating to this then iiending. as he tlumght, 
involved the exclusion from actual settlement of large areas of 
the public lands containing sources and stores of water, and 
with this also much larger tracts adjacent, dependent upon 
these sources for supply. He made a cursory review of the 
general land jxilicy of the Government, showing what a rich 
inheritance had been once in possession of the people; how 
the prec'inption and the homestead laws had made the poorest 
man an heir thereof. 

He dc])lored the methods in which this magniticent i)atri- 
inouy had been wasted, the way in which homes had been 
hindered, harmed, and destroyed liy jirofuse and extravagant 
grants and subventions to schemes of corporate speculation. 
He said that in the home of the husbandman upon his small 
subdivision of SO or 100 acres, dotting the long lines of double 
fnnitiei- apjiroarhiiig eaeli oilier from eitlier seaboard — that in 
these lay the strength, the defense, and fortress of American 
liberty, and that the residue of this estate, as far as his action 
might avail, should in the future be faithfully administf'red to 
the end that thes(> homes, the eitadels of freedom, miglit be 
multiplied and re])lenished. The close of his remarks was suf 



Lifi: and Characlcr of Pns/oii IS. I'liimb. Ill 

luse.l with ;i patlids laioly IhmkI in tliis pivscnc.'. Many Soua- 
tors left thoir seats to tciMJcr him their (•i.iijiiatulat ions upon a 
declaration so frank, so nianitestly .sinf«'i-<'. "liieii attra.ted as 
niueli attention elsewhere as in tliis house. 

Though not thought of at th<' time, this [.roved to be liis 
final expression of oi>inioii upon this sul.Jeet, a, subject to 
which he had devoted many years of uureniitting toil and 
solicitude. One could hardly have wished for a nobler ending. 
As our departed brother lived in haste, so he died. Though 
well versed in and faithfully observant of the rules and usages 
of the Senate, it seems that upon this occasion he neither asked 
nor obtained leave of absence. He is absent without leave- 
without our leave, not withou*^ the leave and or.ler of the All- 
wise Master of Assemblies presiding in the councils of the Just. 
He left us with little notice or warning, without ceremony, 
without much ado. We may fancy his revisiting shade enter- 
ing to-day this Chamber, liushed in (piiet, would ask. as his 
manner was, brusquely, but kindly, "Why shouM there have 
been any ceremony? Sununoned by such a messenger, 1 must 
needs gc and go at once." Or, indeed, why should there be 
anything of <-eremonial following the death of the heir pre- 
sumptive of an ancient and mighty kingdom which should not 
also attend the (h'uiise of this prince, not presumptive or ap- 
parent, but reigning, crowuedand throned in the hearts of the 
people, sovereigns of a wide domain, who gave to him his title, 
who claimed and receiveil his homage and his most loyal 

service ? 

The district and state of death form only a vast democracy 
iu which all are equals; yet when one who has been ennobled 
by the people dies the eveutmay be well noted, that those who 
live, are yet to live, may learn the worth, the way of this 
advancement, wherein may be read the story of a lite, m any 
earthly sense too short, broken and interrupted, quite worthy 
of remembrance. 



llii Address of Mr. l[aU\^ of Maim', on the 

A child horii far t'lom the |iur]>lc. icareil in poverty and oh- 
scurity. wlio in liis yoiitli wallccd Imnyantly eiiou-ili alou^ Ilic 
coniniiiM ])atli awliilc, by his unaiih'd i-lVuit and rapacity strode 
fi'Oin hci-jht III liciL;hl, until lie had neit her f'ainllx nor diiMl\- 
iiiscrilit'd his name anionj; the hiw j;ivcrs and luh-rs of a j;rcat 
uatiiin. And tlii'iv the curtain falls: a famous actor, busied 
with the scene, deeply engaged in his part, suddenly quits the 
stage, never ti» be called back. 

Not the thundering plaudits of encore from the listening 
multitudes who but last summer hung upon the accents of his 
stirring eh)quence, not the tenderest appeals of those nearer 
voices, whose lightest whisper he had been wont to regard, 
none of these now reach or touch him. 

The curtain, fallen for a brief space, is raised again. One 
of the most notable idiaracters therein has unconsciously made 
his last appearance. The drama proceeds. 



ADDRESS OF Mr, H.ME, OF MAINE. 

Mr. Hali;. Mr. President, alter all that has been sf) well 
saiil I can oidy speak of the late Senator Iroin Kansas as we 
saw him here. \\'licn lie died this body lost one of its ablest 
mendx'rs. Wherever .Mr. I'n MU was he made himself felt, 
and this floor atl'orded a fitting arena for the disjilay of his great 
abilities. Few iiii]iortant nicasnio in iln- pa>i litteen years 
lia\c liccoinc laws without the help of liis forming hand. Few 
schemes of doubtful wisdom have gone to their grave without 
being assisted thereto b^\- him. His activity and energy were 
immense, and his investigation and reflection covered the widest 
range of subjects, liis service uimhi ini|iortaiiI <(iiii mil tees \\ as 
so faithful that whenever a nieeling was called it found him 
jtresent. prepared and ready for work, lie made this his bnsi 
ness, and if In- had doubts to raise and objections t(i urge these 



Life and Character of Preston B. I'litmh. 11:''. 

Wfic lirst hroii-iil loiward in lli.- .ciiiniiitlcr nxiiii. lie was in 
Ihis respect an example wlioni we will do w.'ll lo lollow . 

On this floor he never ehaiupioued a nieasiiie without lirst 
studying- it from all sides, and no man here eould maintain his 
cause better than Mr. PLUMB. He was l)y nature aggressive, 
and I think all of us felt that we were undertaking a dangerous 
business when weopposed him, and that we needed to be armed 
and eciuipped most completely, else our dis.'omtiture w(.ul(l be 
certain, inevitable. He scrutinized closely all imi)ortant bills, 
and whenever, as tlie result of su.'h scrutiny, he l)ecame the 
assailant, the Senator who had (duuge,of the bill so assailed 
needed to hav.- all his wits about him if he would save his 

measure. 

Not a few of us have felt keenly wounds received in en- 
couuter \vith Mr. Plumb; but however sharply we may have 
differed with him I think we have all felt that the warfare 
was honorable, and that in the thrust and parry of debate the 
deceased Senator was a fair and oftentimes generous antago- 
nist. He .•ould not help being positive; his whole life from 
boyhood had been active, earnest, and. whenever the need 
arose, belligerent. 

His colleague, in a eulogy winch 1 lia ve never seen surpassed 
here and which seemed to me to be a model for such an occa- 
sion as this, has told us the most interesting story of that life, 
built up as it was by uever-eeasing activity and effort. Xone of 
his successes were accidental; his great triumphs were hardl>- 
earne<l. The people of a great State loved and honored him 
and placed uufiualitied trust in hinu Tlie people of a greater 
nation were coming to know him and to properly estimate him. 
and he was at his best when death knocked at his door and 
would have entrance. Longer service here would have made 
his public life of still greater value, for he was growing every 
ilay ; but this was not to be. 
S. ]Mis. 228 8 



114 ^h/drtss of Mr. UaU\ oj .]faint\ on rite 

Uis social side was of the kiiiil tliat makes it pleasant to 
recall it. His attachments were stronjj and he loved to be 
witli his friends, and in every company where he was fonnd lie 
adilcd to the sum of enjoyment. EIc was a liberal giver, and 
in the many drafts which I have known made upon his gener- 
osity I do not recall one which he did not honor, and those 
who knew liim best will loiii; rcmcmhci- the nnproclaimed 
charities which betlowered his pathway all through life. 

Our deceased colleague, Mr. President, wore himself out 
before his time. He hardly knew the meaning of the word 
rest. No man here jmt as many working hours into each day 
as he, and his work was always done at highest pressuie. He 
had no idle moments. lie was constantly investigating, read- 
ing, and thinking, and so it came about that at an age w hen 
the best part of his life ought to have been before him all 
the machinery of his being suddenly stopped; it could run no 
longer. Ills work was done, although much is left to do in 
which he, a.s we look at it, ought to have a part. 

This great body has never too much of the earnestness, the 
assiduity, the experience which Mr. ri.iMi! furnished to its 
service. 

The Senate, tluiugh it is beyond the cousiant tlucluations 
wliieh are a feature of the other branch of the National Legis- 
lature, is yet a greatly shifting assembly. .Mr. Plu^ib, at the 
time of his death, had been a Senator for almost fifteen years. 
There are here but seven who have seen longer continuous 
service. They are Senators Morrill, Sherman. Ransom, Alli- 
son, Jones of Nevada, Dawes, and Cockrell. Six others took 
seats in this Chamber at the .same time « ith Mi-. I'limu. All 
the rest of us, seventy five in all. are. coiuiiar^itiv cly speaking, 
new Senators. 

Mr. President, the nld landmarks here are disappearing. 
Death, withdrawal, tlie mutation ^si ])oliti(s. eat them away. 



'S 



Life and Character of Preston B. Phtnih. 115 

>'uxv an ..ak m th.' fovost has fallcM,. Which oC ns. as we look 
at rhat seat whi.h h.- hchl s., Urn-, .h-cs not, throutih memory's 
vista, behold that nissv'l fn.nt. that a.ufi'ressive ,)resence, that 
intrepid, ruthless .•ombatai.t? And which of us, seeing tbat he 
is not there, does not feel that in his eelipse there has passed 
iVom si.uht a most conspicuous tigure of the United States 
Senate? 

:Mr. Peffer. 3Ir. President, the senior Senator from Ne^v 
Jersey [Mr. McPherson) desired to take part in these memorial 
exercises, and he expected to do so until yesterday, when he 
was suddenly called away from the city; so that, very much 
to his regret and to our disappointment, it is not possible f<.r 
him to be with us to-day. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Chandler, of New Hampshire. 

Mr. CUANDLEU. :Mr. President, the notable incidents in the 
life and career of the lament.-d Preston B. Plumb, as citizen, 
sohlier of the Union, and Senator of the United States, have 
been recited by the senior Senator from Kansas and other Sen- 
ators with minuteness, accuracy, and justice. Mr. Plumb's 
words and deeds have impressed themselves upon the minds 
„f his people, and their intlueiice for good has been felt far 
beyond the contines of his own Commonwealth. His public 
record will continue to stand a proud memory to Kansas, to 
the great West, and to the nation, each of which he served 
with^'untiring industry and with unsurpassable zeal and tidel- 
ity, inspired by a, spirit of the broadest and truest patriotism. 
It is permitted to me to give voice to my impressions of the 
characteristics of Senator Plumb, derived from an acquaint- 
ance ..f years, disturbed by no controversies or discords. 
Physically he was a typical American, strong, erect, athletic. 



116 Address of Mr. Chandler, of Xew Hampshire, on the 

and alert. Wlifii'Vci' lie went liis hcaiiiij; clialleii^ed altfii 
tioii, siigf,'estO(l i)0\vfr. and iimimandcd admiration. It .■<t'fin.s 
that III' had some i)ri'Mioiiitiiins of pliy.siual weakness, but this 
was unknown to nie. 1 discovered none and he mentioned 
uoiie in two Vnv^ conversations wliicb 1 held with him at tiie 
liejiinniny' of the present session of Congress. He was the 
hist jierson in llie Seiiair whuiii 1 woiilii li;i\e expected to see 
smldeiily and fatally struck down, and to me till tiitlasthe 
was a splendid specimen of American manhood. 

Senator Pn mb"s intellectual traits were not obscure even 
to a limited observer. Aciiteiiess of ixTciiitiim. diicetness in 
his mental jjrocesses, candor and fairness in rea.soning, fullness 
of information, and a vivid imagination, all manifested tlirough 
unusual tiuency of s]ieech, made him foiniichdile in extempo 
raucous debate. His was a rare ami gifted mind: not a rough 
diamond, althougli iu)t i)olisbed by literary culture in tlie halls 
of learning; a minil ex]>andi'd, matured, and made symmetrical 
and l)rilliaiit l)y long years of contact ami !ionorat)le contlict 
will] intellects developed by experiences like his own. 

His attainmeuts were liy im means provim-ial. .Vftercoming 
into pidjlic life his restless mind wandered through many tields 
of iiKluiry, ami his general knowledge was ample. Our friend 
was wont to sjjeak slightingly, half in Jest ami hall in earnest, 
ot' tile needs III' (iiir (liploMiat ic serxii'c abiiud. \ Ci lie would 
liave made a most creditable foreign minister, would liave easily 
adapted himself to the surroundings of a diplomatic life, and 
would have been a favorite with all wliom he met. Like .some 
other reitreseutatives whom we have sent abroad, notal)ly the 
4listingnishcd (len. Robert ('. Sehenck. by his ])lain. straiglit- 
I'orward American ways he would liave commanded res|)eel and 
woidd iiave done honor to the great Kei)nl>lic. 

The use whieli Senatoi I'l.i mh made of his great pliysical 
and mental jiitts was wholly cijmmendaMc. lie labored tor 



Life and Character of Prcsloii />'. riiniih. 117 

liiiiisflf ami liis r.niiily ami aciiuircd a iiaiidsoiiu' luitiinc. 
"Sccst thou a man (liliiiciil in liis business; ho shall stand bc- 
tbrt' kin.n's; he siiall not stand lietbrc mean men." I'.ut in- nc,;;- 
Iccted no pulilic duly. He was uniciniti iui;' in liis attention to 
Senatorial ([uestions. Few Senators maintained so large a. 
(•orvospondenei^ as he did with his constituents. The settle- 
ment of vexed (|uestions coueernin.;;- Ilie i)nl)lic hinds, of the 
committee on which he was the head, received his best tlumgiit 
and his most earu'\st worlc. The affairs of tlie District of 
Colutnbia lie knew by heart; and as chairman of tlie subcom 
mittee of the Committee on Appropriations, in charse of the 
District appropriation bill, he was a constant ami faithful 
guardian of the piosperity of the Nation's ('ai)ital. 

He studied economic (inestions with avidity and discussed 
them with intelligence and acuteness. On no mooted subject 
of legislati(ui did he intend to be without information and an 
opinion; and no predicti(ms could .safely be unule as to the 
result of any important debate without taking into acc(mnt 
the effect of liis participation. lie spared himself no labiu- of 
investigation, was punctual in his attendance, shrunk from no 
responsil)ility, was fearless in his speeches and his votes, and 
his career will ijnqni'stionably be recorded in the history of hit 
own State as that of an indomitable, capable, thoroughly in- 
formed, eloquent, and patriotic American Senator. 

Vet to this man, apjiarently in robust and perfect health 
and destined to many years of life and labor, a sudden end 
came through overwork. It is a common remark that the in- 
valids live th(^ longest. They are careful ami i>rudent, while 
the stalwart men tax tlieir energies to the utmost and often go 
dowu prematurely like tlu^ friend we mourn. In the prime of 
life, at the age of tifty-four, suddenly, and with little warning, 
absent from his wife and his children, this great, powerful man 
passed away from life, and we shall hear his voit^' and see his 
face no more. 



s 



118 Address of Mr. Chandler^ of New Hampshire, on the 

Of tlic iiiiiny lessons to he taken to lieait by tlic associates 
of the ih'ail Senator, taujrht by his startling (icparture and by 
the recent deaths of other conspicuons i)ersonay;es, 1 will sug- 
gest but two, the one most evident being the trite warning of 
the duty of constant readiness to surrendei- the possessions of 
this life and to meet the mysteries of the next. "Among all 
things that are done under the sun," the Psalmist says there is 
one event which cometh alike to all, "for man also knoweth not 
his time." Yet strangely does it ai»i)ear, says a philosophical 
writer, that the very lapse of time which brings death nearci- 
to us makes us less mindful of its approach. Apparently, 
the longer wc live the surer we ai'e that death will imt cumc. 
The habit of living excludes the idea of dying, ^^'c think it 
natural that others should go, but ignore our own danger. 
This is unwisdom. With uo trejjidation or slavish fear, but 
con.staiitly mindful that the end is not far oft, we should jier 
form dill' ihiilv (liilicN mill revrrciitly \\":ilk the path which is 
nightly bringing us (»ne day's march ueai'er the eternal home. 

Hut while keeping ourselves always reasonably mindful of 
the certainty of death, we should also cultivate the most fer 
vent faith in the soul's immortality. We can not know, but 
we can feel and believe, that death opens to us .the portals of a 
new and higher life. Indeed, we all resolutely refuse to l)elieve 
that annihilation is possible The thoughtful writer of the 
Enigmas of Life calls attention to what he says is a uni 
versal exi)erience, that when we enter the ai)artuu'nt of the 
dead and look upon the lace of the friend for whom wc mourn 
wc never have the feeling that the departed one is there. 
IJevcrently and tenderly we treat the remains. But the mind 
wi' knew wc do not conceive is present with us. We feci thai 
the soul, if it exists, has gone elsewhere. Why should it not 
exist? It is true we have no proof It is a part of the Divine 
order that we shall not have proof, but that by faith alone 



fj/c ami Cliaynctcr of I'rcslon />'. riunih. Hi* 

while liiTc we sli:ill lake IkpIiI (if cIciiiilN . Ilul willi unr iirii 
vers-il accoid niaiildinl utters tlie eoii<-liisi(iii (if tlie ureat pdft, 
"It must he so;'" iKit alou(^ hiH'aiise (if I lie jileasiuf; liope. the 
fond desire, tlie lonuiiiu after iniiuoitality, hut heeause iire 
sistihle intuition eonviiu'es us that the souls of men whose 
existence we have felt and known, that our own souls, of whose 
present heini,' we are eoiiseious and sure, do not j;d fmward to 
annihilation. How and where the soul I'xists here in eoniiee 
tiini with our mortal hudies, whether wakinij or sleeping, we 
do not have the faintest eonception. But we know it does 
exist, and hoth sentiment and instinct tell us that it will exist 
forever. 

Whether we consider the hriyhtaud innocent child with his 
rapidly developing hrain, or the strong man in his pride of 
manhood, or the aged sage with apparently failing jxiwers, we 
are impressed with the convietion that while what we see is 
mortal and destructible the souls which we do not see are 
imperishable and eternal. " Though our outward man perish, 
yet the inward man is renewed day by day." 

The revelations of astronomy are most marvelous; myriads 
of suns and planets roll through illimitable space millions njMui 
millions of miles distant from the ghibe which we inhabit, in the 
contemplation and comprehension of which we bow our heads, 
oppressed by the sense of our own in.siguiticaTice. Yet is it 
not even more wonderful that the mind of man can define the 
orbits of these heavenly bodies and measure the paths through 
which they are destined to keep their never-ending course? 
Shall the mind of him who without the .sight of the planet 
Neptune discovered his existence by calculations from the per- 
turbations of Uranus and directed all telescopes to the point 
in the skies where he api)eared at the time predicted; shall 
the mind of him who can fix the dimensions and descrihe the 
qualities of the most brilliant and blazing Sirius, a million and 



120 Address oj M). Walthall, of Mississippi, on the 

:i half tinu's fartlier I'nmi tliis oaitli than cmr sun, l>e fxtiii- 
jruislicd liccaiisf the mortal tVanio has jierisliLHl? No such 
ho]u'h'ss nnbcliff lines astronnniy jicrniit. 

rill- lR:irt at mill- it humbles ami exalts, 
I.:i\s 11 in (lust :iii<i calls it to the skies. 

Thus inspired. Iiiiiiiaii nature revolts at the idea ofaunihila- 
ticin and imbues niankiml with the universal faith that life here 
is l)ut a passing exiierience, who-se end is the be<rinning' of a 
nobler existence in another sphere. 

Our little life 
Is interwoven witli the universe 
Of Ood's I'tcriKil rounspls. We are part 
Of the whole family in heaveu and e.irth — 
The many are in heaven, the few on earth — 
Part of the mighty host whose foremost ranks 
Long since have crossed the river and have pitched 
Their tents iipcm the everla.^tiug hills. 



ADDRESS OF MR. WALTHALL, OF MISSISSIPPI. 

Mr. W.vi.TiiAi.i.. Mr. ['resident, wlien I entered liie Senate, 
a stranger to most ot its members and \\itiiout exjierienee in 
the business of legislation, 1 was attracted to the late Senator 
Plumb by his cordial greeting and his generous otters <tf assist- 
ance in the new duties which were before uie. 1 was assigned 
to the Committee on Public Lauds, and served there, with him 
as ciiairman, until his death. There and here and elsewhere 
1 liad siicji proofs of his sincerity and good will and witnessed 
such exhibitionsnf his iinrdinnion jiowers tliat 1 desire to avail 
myself of the privilege which this occasion aflords to say a 
word in recognition of his \irtues as a man and a friend and 
to exjfre.ss my apjireciation of his value as a pul)lic servant. 



[.ifc and Characlif <>/ Preston A". Plumb. Vll 

Tluiso wlio knew liiiii loii-cr ;ir<- alilf In lucsciit liis distinct ivo 
clianictiTistics niitl liis lilc woik wilii iiKir.' coinijlftciicss tliaii 
I can. I'lit i)r<>l)ably diiriiii; tiic last six years of liis life none 
here were iiiorc observant of his earnest and forceful course in 
this body (tr more impressed by the effectiveness of his vigor- 
ous efforts and intense aii|ilicatiou. 

His intellectual |io\vi-r. his rare capacity for work, his sell- 
reliance and tireh'ss assiduity, were recojiiiized alike by those 
who confronted him and those who cooperated with him. His 
viuor of mind and body, bis will power, and his courage made 
Liiu a -leaf factor here and a prominent figure in iiublic atten- 
tion. 

In the various branches of his legislative duty his labors were 
iucessaut and productive, and through them he touched the 
jiublic at more different points than most of his associates here, 
and left his impress ui>on a greater variety of interests and 
subjects. 

His useful and distinguished services to his constituents and 
his <.mntry are a part of the history of the times in w liich he 
flo-ured. His jjublic record is before his eouutrymeu as he made 
it for himself, aud that presents him as the big-brained, busy 
man of work and power and intinence that he was. But, sir, 
that record does not and can not tell of some phases of his char- 
acter and disposition which were well known to us, and I may 
be pardoned if I su])pl<'ment it by a brief reference to these, 
which, if portrayed, would make a fit complement to the history 
of liis public work. 

Senator PLrMB's native force had never suffered impairment 
from any unsubstantial and merely formal, conventional re- 
straints. The element of practicality in him was inborn, es.sen- 
tial, and doiiuiiant. ami he sought for and dealt with the sub- 
staniM' and not the form of things. In the pursuit of a pui-pose 
he was earnest and sanguine and sometimes impulsively re- 



122 Address of Mr. Walthall, of Mississippi, on the 

seutful i>f opptisitioii. l>iu In- l)<»re ii<i nialict' :m(l liaiboicd im 
spirit of retaliation; and. although his prejuditfs, like all else 
in him. wen- strong, thoy were never beyond the reaeh of rea 
son. Of mere empty observ anct-s he was but littk' regardful. 
Uiiineauiug Ibrinalities he neither practiced nor resjjected. and 
had no ta.ste nor toleration for the mere tiusehvttrk and eni- 
bellishnients of ceremonious display. The pretenses of hypoc 
risy and all alViciaiioii and impostures he readily detected aud 
cordially despised. ( )f mere lijt service and tlattery he was im- 
patient even to abruptness. In his intercourse with men he 
disdained all counterfeit graces, insincerity, and mannerism. 

But, sir, tliougli lirusi|ue and sturdy and in all things essen- 
tially ])ractical. our departeil associate was a genuinely gracious 
nnui, full of that real, unpretentious politeness whnh can only 
come fnnn a Just, innate conception of the considerati(Ui due 
the rights and sensibilities of others. His heart was warm 
and generous ami res])(iiisi\e. It made liini faithful and fear- 
le.S.s, hopeful and strong. It made him iiiiiidfiil of the wrongs 
anil attiictions of others and put him in .sym])athy with the 
toiling masses and the neglected classes of his fellow men. It 
madi' him true to his country and his frieud.s, and supported 
him in his earnest and successful career in life. 

If he had been a man of colder blood and had steered his 
course by iiolicy alone, if his manner hail been gentlei, il' the 
angularities of his character had been reduied and his tvndeney 
at times toward aggression had been .subdued, if he had been 
more considerate of himself and less so of his duties and of his 
fellow men, his ])ath had |)robably been smoother ami his life, 
it may be. inmli piojonueil. I'.ut. sir. lie would mil have been 
what lie was and eoidil not have accomplished what he did, and 
one of till- most noticealde figures of iiis time would have been 
lost to the age we live in. In this imi)erlcct tribute his in 
<li\ idualilv has been but faintly marked, but 1 have sought in 



Life and Cliaractcr of Piis/on B. J'iidiib. 1123 

some measmc to jncseiit it and prescr\t^ it. \t is woi'thy to 
be remiMnberod as it was, without oiiiaiueiit or coiiccaliiient. 
It bel()ii);'c(l Ik :i 111 ;;;;■(' (I, rrstlcss, eanu'st, ami coiiiaj'eons luaii 
ofwortli ami woik and power, who fought iiis owu way to sue- 
cess and liiyli distiuction. Tiie lesson of his life is instrui-tive 
to us all and fall of encoaragemeut to the aspiring- youth of 
the land who may be beset by sueli ditiiiculties as he encoun 
tered but to overcouie. I would not distigure it or impair it 
by auy empty words of indiscriminate praise. 



Address of Mr. Perkins, of Kansas. 

Mr. Perkins. Mr. President, again the Senate has paused 
ill its laliors and suspended its important service to the people 
of the couutry, that we may pay (mr tribute of respect to a late 
distinguished Senator aud lay upon his grave our rhetorical 
orterings of appreciation and love. 

On tlie 12th day of October, 1837, in the county of Delaware 
and State of Ohio, Preston B. Plumb was born, Imt befoie 
he reached the years of his majority he left the I)eautifnl iiills 
of his native State aud became an active, earnest, aud en- 
tlmsiastic autislavery man upmi the plains of the then Terri- 
tory of Kansas. In June, 185G, he located ui)oii a claim near 
where the city of Salina uow is, l)ut sul)seqnently found em- 
ployment in a printing oUice at Topeka, and during the winter 
of 18r)6-'57 was foreman of the Herald of Freedom otiftce at 
Lawrence, Ivans. He liad learned the ])riutiug business in 
Ohio, serving an apprenticeship in the ottice of the Western 
Episcopalian at (randjier aud establishing when but IG years 
of age the News at Xeuia, Ohio, in connection with one J. W. 
Dum1)le. 

I am in receipt of a letter from a gentleman living in Chicago, 



124 Addrfss oj Mr. J'li/ciiis, oj Kansas^ on the 

by the iiaiiu' <»f Str<)iijji:,who say.s that he was iMuphiyed in 1S55 
as a cdiupositor by Jlr. PlI'MB to assist in tlie publitatioii of 
the News, and he says that Mr. Plumk was a good iniiiter 
anil as last a typesetter as any man lie e\er worked with. 
But the i)ublieatiou of a country newspaper in Ohio did not 
in full measure satisfy the vijjorous and)ition and restless eii- 
er}j;y of this stronjr, athletic younj; man, anil, disjiosinj,' of his 
paper, he removed to Kansas. \\ htic lir i-ontiniicd to reside 
until he ilii'd in this city ou the LiOtli day of December last. 

Mr. President, tiiisis not an nnmeanint;' ceremonial. A j;'reat 
statesman, a wise and useful lejiislator. a devoted friend, au 
eminent and patriotic citizen, is dead and now sleeps in i)eace 
and iionor in the Imsoni of tlie State he lo\ eil so well and serveil 
witii such faithful and laborious devotion. .Strong, rugged, 
active, and indumitabie, Senator Plumb seemed the incarna- 
tion of physical force aud of intellectual activity, and his serv- 
ice in I his ('lianil)er was so long and his participation in its 
proceedings so active and untiring that it does not seem pos- 
sible that its portals have been closed to him forever. In 1S.>'» 
and l.S.5(! Kansas was a wonderfully attractive Territory to a 
young man of the convictions, aliiiily. sircngtli. ami courage 
of our late distinguished colleague, and from the day he re- 
moved thereto until the hour of his untimely death in this 
city he was one of its conspicuous figures and i'ertaiid}- one 
of its most potential rliaiacters. 

Kansas had begun to be settled in l.S.ji, directly after the 
jiassage of the Nebraska bill, and had inevitably become an 
arena of strife and violence. Colonies were sent thither from 
the flee States exjiressly to mold lie|- to the uses of free labor 
and to clcdii-ati' iiei lnMutil'iil |irairies to the cause of freedom, 
while weaker colonics were sent thither from the South to bind 
her to the car of slavery. These colonies Irom the South were 
supjilemented and strengthened by incursions of Missourians, 



Life (Did Chanuier of Prcstoii 11. riu)iih. l-Jf) 

tliiiroiiulily mined ami icady lor any worlv tlial uuiild aid 1 he ad 
iiiiiiistiatioM and assist in lastcnini; n|iini \\\v plains of tiic lU'W 
Territdiy X\\v linniilial inj; ('(indil ions ol' sla\f lal)iii. 'I'lic cj)!! 
teiitious of that jiciiod are iustoncal and are ouly adverted to 
to sn,i;'i;est tliat in tiiat early .sti'Ugiile the .syuii)athie«, iictivi 
ties, and labors of Mr. I'htmij were with the free-State men. 
lie was a member of a eomi)any of live persons who laid .mt 
the city of Emporia, in February, 18,17, and it is the home of 
his family at tliis time. His love for newspapcir work had not 
jibated, and early in 1S57 lie, with others, established the Em- 
])oria News, ami he uave to the ent<'r](rise his personal and 
laborious attention. 

Almost at ouee the paper took rank as among the most ably 
edited in the Territory, and it became a jxttent fixetor for good 
in the growth of the young city and in the settlement of the 
new Territory. The i>aper is still published uuder the old 
name, although Mr. Plumb had no e.onuection with it for 
many years. Mr. Plumb was a delegate to a number of Ter- 
ritorial free-State conventions, always advcjcatmg the most 
radical measures of the antislavery jiarty. lu 1858 he was 
elected a delegate to the Leavenworth constitutional conven- 
tion, and altliongh among its most youthful members he exer- 
cised great influence and became one of its most active and 
conspicuous reiiresentatives. In 18,')!» he returne(l to Ohio for 
the j)urpose of attending the law school at Cleveland. Here 
he pursued his studies for two terms, when he returned to 
Kansas and was admitted to the bar in 18(il and opened a law 
office at Emporia. He at ouce took high rank as a lawyer and 
secured a profitable practice. 

In I8O1; he was elected a member of the Kansas house of 
representatives and served as chairman of the judiciary com- 
mittee. Shortly after this he was appointed reporter for the 
supreme court of the State, but soon resigued that he might 



120 Address of Mr. Perkins, of Kansas, on the 

serve in tlic tit'lil witli a cniiiiiaiiy of iiicii la- liad ri'L-niilcd tor 
tlif Kk-vi'iitli Kansas ^'^luntt'('^s. He was ninstereil intcp the 
service as second licuiriKnil mI <'iiin|iany C of siicli rci;inicnt, 
anil scived successively as second liciilcnant. captain, major, 
and lieiiienant-<M)lonel, and dnrnj; inneli nf tlie sei\ ici- of the 
lejrinienT he was its coinniandiny otliccr. As a sohlier he was 
prompt, untiring, and impetuous. At times it was dillicult for 
him to contoi m to military regulations and to observe theeoii- 
\('ntionalities of military life, but he shared with his men the 
hardships of the campai};n and i)()ssessed their eoididenee and 
jjood will, ami lie never commanded them to go where lie wa.s 
not williiij;' to lead. 

Subsecjuently ii) jirivate and public life he esteemed it a per- 
sonal favor to be able to serve a mendx-r of Ids old regiment, 
and when the intelligence was tlashed along the electric wires 
that Senator I'l.i mh was dead every comrade of the Eleventh 
Kansas found his eyes tilling with tears and his heart a<'hing 
with sorrow at tlie sad intelligence as he recognized that the 
loss was not only a gicat one to the State and nation, but to 
him it was a ])ers(iiial l)erca\ cment. At the close ot' the war 
Mr. Plumh resumed his law practice, and was again elected 
to'the Kansas house of representatives in ISiiG and again in 
1807. During his service in the legislature in \i^W> he was 
elected speaker and made a vigorous an<l caiialde presiding 
officer. In consequence of illness and business interests Mi-. 
Plumi! gave uj) the ])iactice of the law in 1872, and until his 
election to this body in 1877 he gave his rinu! and energies to 
his Jirivate interests, the most of the time serving as president 
of the Ijiqioria Xatimial Kaiik. 

On the 3l8t day of .January, 1877, he was elected to succeed 
Senator James .M. Harvey as a member of this body, and his 
brilliant and distinguished services in this great legislative 
Chamber are a jiart of the imperishable history of our great K'e 



Li/c and i'haiactcr of /'its/(i)i />'. I'liinib. \'ll 

IMililif. To you wild soi'xt'il witli liiiii;inil le;irncd IVoiii jicrsoual 
conract his woiidcit'iil ihiwcis it is not necessary to sufrp'st lii.s 
licciiliarities or to iccall liis rciiiaikalilc aciiicvt'iiieiits. He 
entered this ("liaiiiber a coiiiparative stranger to all and witli- 
out experience orunuii familiarity with national concerns, yet 
in a bi'ief period he became the friend of all, o\erc:ime the ein- 
barrassmeuts resulting from inexperience, familiarized himself 
with the rules and methods of doing business, and became one 
of the most forceful Senators upon the tloor. Duriug the last 
eight or ten years of his service as a Senator from Kansas his 
work was marvelous, and 1 do not think that any Senator who 
sit* upon this tloor will take exception to my statement wheu 
I suggest that in my judgment Preston B. Plumb did more 
good work than any man in the Congress of the United States. 

Possessing a magnirtcent physical oiganization, with strong 
mental endowments, he seeuu'd exempt from the infirmities 
common to our humanity and capable of constant, exhaustive, 
and endless work. Rest did not seem necessary with him, 
and recreation and relief from the cares and responsibilities of 
Senatorial service were only suggested to be put aside as 
having no place or ]iart in the public life and daily service of 
this representative and servant of the people. His ambition 
was to work, to accomplish results, and to leave to his loved 
ones as a heritage a record of kindly deeds and of almost 
nnitchless achievements. To his State he was fondly devoted, 
to her peoi)le he was ever loyal, and to her interests, growth, 
and development he had consecrated his energies as a religious 
duty, and wbatevei' in his judgment would contribute to her 
glory and to the happiness and contentment of her firesides, 
that would lie champion and defend, wliethei' it was orthodox 
in politics for him to do so or otherwise. 

I do not suggest that he was always right; such a strong, 
impetuous, ami jiersonal nature as his is likely to evoke mis- 



lis .hMrtss ojMi. Perkins, oj Kansas, on the 

takes; but that he was true to his tiiiivictions. hiyal to his e(Ui- 
stituent.s, aud earliest in his desire to serve thei'eoph- that had 
bonoretl him and tlie eouutry <'f whieli he was sn pioiul as an 
Ainerieaii eitizeii, eau not be tiuestioiied by any. 

I first beeaine ae(iuainted with .Air. ri.iMii in ihi' winter of 
lSli9-70. 1 had loeated at Oswe;;... in the M.iitheast corner 
of the State, the spriug before, and in tlie practice ntniii pro- 
fession we were thrown ti>j;ether in some iniiiortant lili-ation 
at the time sugtrested. and from then until the day ul' Ids 
death I knew him well, and we were friends. 

When I was first nominated for Congress from the Stale at 
large tlie delegatiun fKnn his county gave me its earnest and 
loyal support, and during my Congressional ser\-ice he aided 
me greatly with his suggestions, experience, and support. My 
friends were generally his friends and we found our otlicial re- 
lations most cordial and pleasant. NVe. ol tin- llunse. deiieiided 
ni"iii liiniaininsi ent i rely to look after our mea.sures iu this body. 
Senator Ingails was much of the time engaged with his duties 
as presiding ofUcer, and hence to Senator ri.rMH we carried 
our labors as well as rmr personal embarassments and dilVniil 
ties. II I )w well he reipiited our confidence and responded to 
our demands upon him is shown by the record that in almost 
every ia.stauce and in full measure our interests were consulted, 
our demands responded to. and our local measures looked at'ti-r 
11 ud eared for. 

The career of Preston R. Plxtmb was a romance in real life. 
Witliout school, he became educated; without training in any 
spei-ial line of business or public service, he became one of the 
most ett'ecti\'e men in law. in liiiance, in politics, aiul in states- 
manship; without early a<lvantages. he became the peer of 
men on wliom schools, wealth, travel, jind cultured surnmnd- 
ings had poured their richest gifts: without susiiending his 
busy activities that he might sit down jnd learn, lie acipiiied 



/,//(■ and Chanulcy of Pns/on B. Plioub. 12!l 

by observation and absorption, as lie pusliiMl alon;;, a fund of 
information whioli made liini an authority on all |)i actical sub- 
jects. He was a lapiil ;iii(i ((instant leadci-, and would gatiicr 
the contents of tlie daily press and store them away in his 
vi.i;(>rous intellect in less time than any man I ever knew. He 
was a lover of books, as well as of art, and at his home at 
Emporia is fouud one of the finest private libraries west of the 
Mississippi Eiver, all personally selected and arranged with 
care, with reference to the subject or matter of which they 

treat. 

In May last we were together in New York City, and we 
visited a bookstore and he spent an hour or more in looking 
over their new publications, and left his order for over a hun- 
dred volumes. Knowing his busy life, I asked him when he 
found time to read liooks, and he answered that he read them 
when traveling and nights when not otherwise engaged, for 
recreation. And thus every moment of this great man's life 
was utilized, and all his wakeful moments were busily em- 
ployed. He was an early riser, no matter what the demands 
uipon him the previous night, and the early hours of the day 
were given to his correspondence, which was wonderfully 
voluminous. After dictating letters to his stenographer for 
two hours or more he would go to breakfast, if he had time: 
but, if friends were in waiting and his errand and Department 
work were pressing, he would defer his breakfast until later in 
the day and give his time and energies to the demands of a 
constituency that had no conception of the work it imposed 
upon him. 

In this way his hours for eating became very irregular, and 
1 have kuown many instances when late in the afternoon he 
took his first morsel of food for the day. But this did not 
seem to impair his capacity for work, and in his rapid, vigor- 
ous, and irresistible way he pushed along, defying the inex- 

8. :Mis. 228 9 



130 AiMicss of Mr. Perkins, of A'(fiisas, on the 

oiabk' laws of nature, until the end raim- in that sudden, start- 
lint; uiiiiiniT on the 20th day of Dei-ember last. Many who 
knew him well had ;intieiiiated that when the final summons 
came it would inmc willmui warning <u' notice, as a Hash of 
lightninjf in a cloudless sky, but all had hoped that the j;rim 
messenjrer, which comes but once to mau, would defer his 
summons until this strong, sympathetic, robust, capable, and 
useful man could give to his i)eoi)le and to his country many 
more years of his spleudid service. 

Mr. Presideut. I have known many business and public men, 
but in my entire circle of acquaintances I have never known 
one who could look aft ci- as many intcicsts. assunu' so many 
responsibilities, and giv(! his attention to as many cares at the 
.xame time, without neglecting any, as Preston B. Plvmb. 

Like an oak in the forest, he has fallen; a strong man has 
been called hence; but there is naught left for us to mourn, but 
his unfoi-tiiii;iir departure. His lil'c luid I leeu a useful and a 
noble oni'. liis fame, fairly earned, is secure and his name will 
be honored b\' those wlio foUow us. 

He died witli iiis mental foculties unimi)aired, his genial 
nature unchilled, and his love of friends and country as stal- 
wart as in the hapiiy days of boyhood. 

The love that his people bore him was illustrated by the 
.scenes that were witnessed by those who accompained his 
remains to their linal resting place. When the confines of the 
State were reached, that he had loved so fondly and served .so 
faithfully, the nnmly .sons and appreciative daughters gath 
ered in crowds at every station to pay with uncovered heads 
and .symitathetic hearts their silent nibute of respect to the 
dead statesman aiul friend. All the peo])le monriu'd, for he 
was emphatically tiie people's friend. lie was not only kiiuUy 
di.spo.sed toward them, but he was one of them, and he knew 
their burdens, their sorrows, and their conlliets. He could 



/.//(■ a)ui Characlrr of Pnito)i li. I'lii))ih. \.\\ 

syiiii);itliizc Willi ;m iiitcllinciir syiiipMtli.v, ;is liis curly . veins 
ImiiI I)c"mi years of saeriliee ami privatidii, while all liis life liail 
been tilled with lahois and respdnsiliilit ies. 

There was no sham oi- mock [n'etense in his manifestations 
of sympathy and love for tho people. He believed in the j)e()- 
l)le and had conlidence. iu their pati'iotism and intcUigem'e. 
He said they might l)e estraiige<l and in eonse(|nenee of un- 
fortunate conditions led iiLto error foi- a little time, but tliat 
eventually the sober sec(md Judgment of the i)eople was almost 
certain to be honest, patriotic, and right. At his death the 
country lost a wise and untiring legislator and statesmaTi, but 
m Kansas we lost a. benefactor and friend. To us his loss is 
irreparable and the mournipg of our people is grievous and 
universal. Not iu the towns and villages alone, not in the 
centers of trade and commerce only, but upon the farm, in the 
cabins, and far out upon the prairie with the pioneer, the grief 
was intense, and all suffered as fr<mi a personal sorrow. 

Mr. President, for his future I do not fear. Fie was not a sec- 
tarian in religion, though he believed in the Christian faith. 
He was not attached to any creed, but believed that the truest, 
broadest, and most-to-be-commended faith was that which 
teaches us to give our best endeavors toward aiding, elevating, 
and benefiting our fellow men. His was the religi(m of human- 
ity, and iu all his private and public life he was consistent 
with his convictions. 

I have spoken of the business and public life of our late dis 
tinguished Senator, but I do not forget that there was an innei- 
and nearer circle, into the sacredness of whose sorrow we can 
only glance. 

On the lioth day of March, 1867, at Ashtabula, Ohio, Pres- 
ton B. Plumb was married to Miss Carrie Southwick, of that 
place, who survives him and who in broken health presides at 



132 Address of Mr. Perkins, of Kansas. 

the stricken home, and who in weeds of moiirniujj and di-sola- 
tion has the respect and sympathy of all. 

No one loved his home more than Mr. I'l.rMH. and while his 
pnhlic dvities were such that he cnuld l)e at Iidmic Iml lillle, 
and while the liealtli of Mrs. rininl) was sneh that shi' eonld 
share 1)11 1 little i:i liis jmblic life, yet they were fondly and 
devotedly attarhed to eachotlier, and in the later years of their 
doniestie life it was a i)athetic scene to see tills great, strong, 
active, busy man ministering to and looking after the necessi- 
ties and comfort of tliis invalid wife. 

Five children as well as this stricken wife survive liiin. and 
his lioiiie was his delijiht. and the Joys and liapiiiiiess of tlie 
children and the household were his comfort and consolation. 

No better father, no kinder, tenilerer husband, no more loyal 
friend, no more generous and symi)athi/ing man attractedlove 
and affection, anil we can rest in the lielii'f that after a life so 
well spent, with its every duty aud obligation faithfully ob- 
served, the soul of the great Senator is at rest and peace in 
the presence of the eternal God. 

Mr. President, I offer the resolution which 1 ^v\\<.\ to the desk. 

The VlCE-PilE.siDENT. The resolution will be read. 

The Secretary read as follows; 

'• lie.solrcil, That, as an additional iiiaik of respect to the 
memory of the deceased, the Senate do now adjourn." 

The ViCE-Pi{ESlDENT. The questiou is on agreeing to the 
resolution ottered l)y the Senator from Kansas. 

The resolution was agreed to: and (at 4 o'clock aud 40 miu- 
utes i». 111.) the Senate adjourued. 



PROCEEDINCxS IN THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES. 



ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH. 

In the Hottse, March 7.9, 1893. 

The Speakek. Tlic lumr lias now arrived tor tlie special 
order, wliieh tlieClerk will icport. 

The Clerk ri'ad as tollows: 

'■iiVso/m/, That Saturday, Mareli lit, 18'.t2, begiiiiiiiif;- im- 
mediately after the readinj; of the .roiirnal, he set apart for 
tributes to the meinory of Hon. Preston H. I'lumu, late a 
Senator from Kansas." 

Mr. FuNSToN. 1 ask for the reading of the Senate resolutions. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

" Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 
of the death of Preston B. PLinin, late a Senator from the 
State of Kansas. 

-'Resolved, That, as a nuirk of respect to the memory of the 
deceased, the business of the Senate be now suspended to 
enable his associates to pay jnoper tribute of regard to his 
high character and distinguished public services. 

" Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate comnnmicato 
these resolutions to the House of Representatives. 

--Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect to the deceased, 
the Senate do now adjourn." 

Mr. FUNSTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask the Clerk to read the 
resolution which I send to the desk. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

-Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard 

with profound sorrow of the death of PRESTON B. Plumb, 

late a Seiiator from the State of Kansas. 

133 



134 .IMnss of Mr. Fimston, of A'aiisas, on (he 

•• Resoh'cd. That tlic Imsim'ss of this rimise be suspended, 
tliat :ip])n)i)i-iat(' honors may l»e ])aid to the ntcinory of the 
deceased. 

^'Resolrtd, That the Cleik of the House of lieineseiitatives 
1)1' directed to tiaiismit to tlif I'aiiiily of the deceased a copy of 
this resohitioii. 

'• Rcsolvrd, Tliat, as an adtlitional mark of respect to the 
memory of the deceased, at the conchision of these eeremouies 
the House do adjourn." 



ADDRESS OF Mr. FUNSTON, OF KANSAS. 

Mr. FUN.STON. Mr. Speaker, it is littin- tliai tht- IIou.sc of 
Eepresentatives .shoidd pause in the midst of its daily duties 
and witli beconunj;- remarks pay a tribute of respect to the 
memory of one of the most ilhistrious of the other branch of 
this l)o(iy. 

PiJESToN B. Plumb, a Senator of tlie United States from 
the State of Kansas, died at his residence in this city on the 
morninudf the 2(ltli of l)eceml)er, ISIM. Ilis illness was of 
but a few liouis' (luiation, when it was hiiiiieiily announced 
in all parts of the city and dispatched to all i)artsof the coun- 
try that lie was dead. In no instance has it been more com 
pletely exemplilied that in life we are in the midst of death, 
uor have ever been more seriously impres.sed on om minds the 
uncertainty of life and tlie cerlainly ol' death. 

Senator Plu.mb was to all api)earancc a stronj;' man phys- 
ically. Nature had blessed him with a body which seemed 
capaljle of almost any endurance. His stej) was ipiick and 
elastic, and every mot ion indicated a physical ])ower and activ 
ity far beyond the gifts of men. The tone of his voice, the 
rapidity of his speech, and every gesture indicated, as it were, 
a hnman engine, which could neither tire nor wear out. It was 
so the i)eo])le of his State, aud iu fact all wlmniei him. regarded 



Life a)id C/ia racier of Prcslon B. I'hiDih. I."!-") 

Iiim. Tlicy coulil not do otlicrwisc, lor wluitcNcr lie iiiijjiit he 
doing or wliert'vei' he was going lie seemed to be liunting for 
more work to add to the great burden wliieli lie was already 
bearing. That the burden became too heavy for any mortal 
man to bear there can be no (|uestion. Lie sank beneath it. 
The great ceuter which constitutes the proiielling power of lite 
was crushed, and this line speeimeu of health and strength 
lay dying. 

Xever did a people feel more keenly the loss of one of their 
own than did the people of Kansas feel the loss of Senator 
Plumb. They loved him with all the afifections of their hearts. 
He was to them a brother, a father, a benefactor. They had 
found in him a wise counselor, a true friend, and a heart over- 
fiowiug with generosity. 

The iioorest and the weakest could always catch his atten- 
tion and i)our into his ear a recital of their sorrows and mis- 
fortunes with a certainty of relief, were it possible for him to 
give it, though in thousands of cases it required the sacrifice 
of his own personal means. 

In him the l)usiness man found a model. Wlien a farmer he 
was familiar with all its duties, ready and willing if necessary 
to take hold (d' the most disagreeable and arduous duties, 
allowing no one to i\i^ iiiDrc than he, and, as his brother, who 
was at one time his partner upon the farm, remarked to me, 
he was always found doing that which was the hardest to do. 
Behind the ct)unter of his bank he was exact, but fair, despis- 
ing to take advantage of any man's misfortune; loan.ng in 
many instances to men whose only security was their good 
names, and, as I have been told, seldom losing on such loans. 
He was a success as an editor, as a lawyer, and as a nuner. 
Railroads were built under the inspiring touch of his genius. 
And, m fact, there was Init little within his reach to be done 
of a business character that he did not in some way assist. 



lo6 Address of Mr. Fmts/oit, of A'aiisiis, on Ihc 

(liiectly or iiidin'ctly. llis niiiul was imt ol'the oin-idfa kind, 
it was not as a one-stringed instrument, bnt it was like a 
jrrand pianot'orte with every ebord in liariiiony witli tiie tial- 
ance, and at its best only wlieii resi)onding to tlie inost delieate 
touch. 

Of his success as a legislator but little need he -aid lu-re. 
In the <'haiiil)ei of tlie Senatebehas made lor hiniseli' a name 
that needs no eulogy to perpetuate. 

Tlie statutes bear witness to the many laws placed there 
through his eflbrts in the interest of the public or worthy in- 
di\ iduals. 

Many are the claims he has secured for those who were too 
poor to prosecute them in the courts. ^Maiiy are the old sol- 
diers who have been made hai)i)y through his instrumental'ty. 

As a debater in- made but little pretension (o oratory, 
though he was always ehxpient with fiicts and sound reasoning, 
dealt in such a way that they came with the corners on and 
played havoc witli his opponents. Open the Kecord at almost 
any date during his long Congressional service in the Senate 
and you will there find an expression of his sentiments couched 
in strong and vigorous English. lie called a spade a s])ade, 
and theie was no mistaking wliat he nu-ant. After all. that is 
oratory of the lii;;hest order, for it persuades and convinces 
and charms us with results. 

His addresses in political cam])aigiis were models in political 
economy. None understood better than he the great principles 
upon which the governmeut of a tree jieople must rest, auilbe 
was quick to detect an erroneous idea of what tliose principles 
were and to show the damaging I'esults of such ideas. 

None were better able to draw the line between the states- 
man and the demagogue, whether in his own ]iarty or some 
other. 

He believed that everv man. in a measure at least, is the 



Life and Charaitfy of rycsloii />. PlitDib. V',1 

aicliiU'ct of liis (iwii forfuiii', and llKrctiirc tlial \\v slidiild 
attempt to licw it out. Never liaviiin' tasted tlie bread of idle- 
ness liiiiisell', iir had no |iati<'iic«' with anyone who had not the 
courage and disiiosition to move on. ^\'ork, work! was his 
motto. He seemed to have absorbed the siiiritot the motto of 
his State: Ad astra jto' ((xpcrd. 

To him there was noway ui)but to work n]>. liorn on a farm, 
without fortune, reared under the tutehige of parents who 
believed that manual labor is honorable and that an honest 
man is the noblest work of God, he started at the foot of the 
hill, never shirking a responsd)ility, nor breaking an engage- 
ment, nor forsaking a friend; gathering strength and courage 
and friends as he advanced, he reached the summit, and in a 
halo of glory, amid the plaudits of admirers and loving friends, 
he passed to the stars. 

What a glorious model for the youths of America! Where 
is the boy, however poor he may be, who would not receive 
inspiration from this eharacterl 

Where is the father who would sit down under the statue of 
Senator Pn mk and repine because his sons are poor? 

Where is the man who would in the light of his life attempt 
to array class against class in this country ? 

For here was a man of all classes and yet of none. He passed 
through all and belonged to none. He knew- but little and 
<^ared but little for the boundary lines of class. He broke 
through all without knowing himself, and when standing by 
the side of the President of the United States he felt as per- 
fectly at ease as if in the presence of the poorest man in Kan- 
sas, and when in the presence of the i)oorest nnin in Kansas 
he was as respectful and kindly as if in the jn'eseuce of the 
President of the United States. 

Mr. S-peaker. I will not trespass upon the time of this House 
to attemiit a biography of Senator Plumb. 1 will leave that 



138 Address of Air. Fiiuston^ of Kansas, on the 

branch of tlic subject to my colleagues, wlio arc so iimcli hct 
ter ([ualilieil tliaii I to deal witli it. 

I will otil.\ say that I liave known liini iniinialcly foraijuar 
t<?r of a century, anil that lie was in Kansas many years before 
I knew liini. lie came there when a boy. anil cast his fortunes 
on her bleak prairies with scarcely enouj^h to shelter him from 
the blasts of winter. 

Ilr not only ui-cw up with the State, Iml he niadr the State 
{irow. lie infused his energy into all licr public cnteriiriscs. 
He not only helped inmselt, but he helped others. He built 
colleges, and churches, and railroads, and opened farms and 
made laws and t'ouulil battles for Kansas and the Union. 

His whole, life has been insepaiably woven into the life of liis 
State, and no man can think of her green j)astures, her spleu 
did schools, her hajjpy and prosperous people without thinking 

of I'UMIi. 

We, in the i)reseuce of thousands of uncovered heads and 
under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic, laid 
him to rest among the i)eople he loved so well. 

\Ve can not and ought not to say he is dead, except in body. 
There is no <leath for such men. The frail tenements which 
they iidiabit may return to earth, but their s])irits, like the 
buttertly. are only disenthralled and seek the space of eter- 
nity, as the butterlJN does the morning air. Or, in the b(>au 
tiful idea of the minister at the dead Senator's home, "The 
curtains are oidy drawn aside." 

Our State will miss him. Tlic nation will miss him. Hut 
his spirit, like the spirits of Socrates and Cicero, will ever be 
l)reseiit. in influence at least, with an intelligent and justice- 
loving; people. 



Life and Character of I'rcston B. Plumb. 13!) 

ADDRESS OF Mr. BRODERICK, OF KANSAS. 
Mr. Bboderick. Mr. S))eaker — 

Dcnlli mn.krs mi ronqncst. of tliis cdiKiucror; 
J'or iinw lir lives in faiiii', tlinimli nut in life. 

This fan be truly said of Preston li. Plumb. A stroug 
man has fallen. We pause here to recall his virtues aud pay 
tribute to his memory. The life was an earnest, active one, 
full of patriotism and replete witli yood works. 

1 am not fully informed of his opportunities aud environ 
ments in early life. I can only follow him from the time he left 
his Ohio home for the new West, through an honorable aud 
eventtul career. 

In 1850 many stroug youug men from all over the country 
emigrated to the Territory of Kansas. Prior to this date the 
couutry from the ^lissouri Eiver to the liocky Mouutaius was 
looked upou as a desert with only a possibility of reclamation. 
The savages and the buffalo had undisputed dominion. Two 
or three military posts, garrisoned by a few soldiers; two or 
three ludian mi.ssions, iu charge of a few missiouaries, aud 
here aud there an adventurer were all there were on this great 
Westeru plain to proclaim the probable advance aud concjuest 
of our civilization. These few missionaries and frontiersmen, 
whether there of their own volition or by directiou of the Di- 
vine Intelligence, witnes.sed events aud changes more startling 
and momentous than had occurred in this couutry during the 
present century. 

In June, 1855, the Congress had given to Kansas and Ne- 
braska a Territorial form of government, aud that vast region, 
now so populous and prosperous, was opeued to settlement. 
Emigration followed, and settlements sprang up all along the 



140 Address of Mr. Brodcrick, of Kansas, on the 

fasU'in bonier. Uiil cveiy uew country iiiust i);iss thnmjrli its 
crisis. Tin- allab.sorbing' iiucstion of tlic time was whether 
shivery shoiikl be iihuiteil and fostered in the Territories, and 
njion this ([nesiion the pcoiik' were ili\iih<l. The dift'erenee.s 
at ouee became sharply defined and lar;iely sectional. Aj;ita- 
tion was kept alive; threatciiin.L;- demonstrations were made; 
bitterness was engendered, uliiili fast ripened into open and 
<h'adl\- hostility. Fierce strife ensued ami mhhi the Teiiitory 
was in the throes of a nughty contest, which had assumed 
from the beginning; a national character, and the whole nation 
turned from the ordinary channels of thought to view and 
study the siluatinn. 

A year later the turbulent elements yielded to peaceful meth- 
oils, interest in the struggle dinunished. and the few actual 
settlers were greatly augmented in number. 

Mr. Pm'mh was born and spent lii> liciylmcicl days in Dela- 
ware County, in tlic State of Ohio. In October, 1S56, after 
oidy a few day.s" re1h'ctk)n, he determined to go to Kansas, and 
at once joined the great westward moving throng that was 
hastening forward to link their fortunes with those who bad 
gone V)efore. They starteil to hud an abiding place and take 
up homes on the wide prairies of that region and to dedicate 
it to God and libert.\ . 

Not long after becoming a resident of the Territory Mr. 
I'Li'Mii secured eniploymeni in a printing office at Lawrence, 
and for a time worked at the case. iSoon thereafter he began 
thestiulyoflaw, and in 185!» was a member of the Leaven w(nth 
constitutional convention. 

I'rom the time he eomm<'nced reading lau he energetically 
l>rosecuIed his studies, and in ISiil was adndttcd to the bar. 
Early in IStiJ he was eleeteil a member of tlie Statt' legisla- 
ture and substMiuently was appointed icporler of the supreme 
court. 



Life and Character o/ Preston />'. J'i/nii/i. 1 II 

lu ^Viigust of tliat yiMT 1 iitcrcd tlu' voluuti'fr military 

stTvice as second lii'iitciiaiit in tiic I'IIcn ciitli Kansas Regiment, 
and was advanced, step hy step, until the clos(M)f the war, 
when he was commissioned colonel, and, in a few days there- 
after, with his rejiimeiit, was mustered out of the servi<;e. 
Tlie implements of war beiiii;- laid aside he returned to his 
home at Emporia and resumed the practice of his jirofession, 
<'ontinuiiig' to take a <leeii interest in every movement inaugu- 
rated to develop and build up the Commonwealth. Unwaver- 
ing faith in the resources and possibilities of the State, untiring 
eiiorts tor what lie believed to be for her advancement, ready 
perception, widen enabled him to decide what should be done, 
soon gave him leadership and determined his future. 

In the fall of 1860 he was elected a member of the Kansas 
house of representatives, and when that body assembled was 
chosen as its presiding officer. As speaker he won the con- 
tidence and good will of the assembly and presided over it with 
distinguished ability. He was returned as a member of the 
house the following year. In 1877 the people further evidenced 
their appreciation of his services and worth by an election to 
the United States vSeiiate. He was twice reelected and death 
found him at his jiost of duty December I'O, 1891. 

This brief biography tells its own story. Such a record can 
not be tbuiid in any otlier country. It is wholly due to the in- 
tluence of American ideas and American institutions. With a 
limited scholastic education, a jHior boy advances from one 
position of trust to another, until he is seated as a member 
of this highest legislative body in the world, and all this is 
accomplished at the age of -10. The record is not closed here. 
The young Senator was a close observer and a student, 
although his methods of study were saiil by his nearest 
friends to have been peculiar. His open, genial manner, his 
constant industry and force of character, soon gained for him 



142 Address of Mr. B rode rick, of Kansas, on the 

ifcnjLriiitidii in thf SciKilf and cndi-art'il him nutrc firmly to the 
peoiik- of liis Statf. After a tVw scssinns he was fdiind ]iar- 
ticipatinj: in thi- discussion of {jn-at <|uestioiis, and always 
a<i|ilitti'(l liinisclf with i-ifdil. 

Dnrin;; the last years lie was one i>f the best inlnrme<l men 
on public (luestions in the eountry. Many times he amazed 
the Senat<' by his readiness and force in debate upon questions 
suddenly siniinj;- in iliat body. Senator Hah-. Imij; associated 
with liiiii. in his eul(i>;y in the Senate, said: 

"On this lioor he never chamjiioned a measure without tirst 
studying it from all sides, and no man here could maintain hi.s 
cause better than Mr. ri.rJiB," 

His work in the Senate for his State and the nation can not 
receive more than mere mention at this hour. The part he 
bore in the deliberations is part of the history of that body 
and rellects great honor ui)on his memory. His fame was not 
limited to his State, but extended to the remotest parts of the 
Union. Everywhere his namt- was regarded as a tower of 
strength, and his advocacy of a measure was evidence that it 
would receive respectful consideration. 

In daily life he was unassuming and earnest, but always 
considerate of the oiiinions and sensibilities of others. Strong 
personal attachnients drew to and about him hosts of ardent 
admirers. He was devoted to his l'amil.\. Uind and obliging 
to his friends, and generous to all. Much of his own ju'osperity 
was emiiloyed in kindly niiiiistiations and for the substantial 
prosjierity of others. 

The willingness to assist those who looked to him w as one of 
his strong characteristics, and In- hud innumerable calls for a 
word or line of comiuendation. Tlieic are few men who ever 
helped carry the hojjes and ambitions of more pcoiile. K'aiik 
or .station was not considered. He was ot' ilic jieoplc and with 
the people. One of the last acts of his life was to assist in se- 



Life a)id Cliaracti'r o/ Prcstoii />. ]'lii»ib. Id 

furiuy the ap|iointuii'iit <il' a jmor (irplKiii Itoy as incss('iii;cr in 
one of tilt' Depart incuts of tlic ( Jovci iiincnt. lie liad wonderful 
eiieii;y, strong will power, and a determination to do things 
that lie belii'ved should lie done. All was done witlioul osten- 
tation, show, or ineteiise. 

These are in brief some of the traits of character that brought 
him into public notice and secured to him the conlidcnce and 
respect of his fellow men. 

The years of experience in public life had titled liiui for still 
greater usefulness to his country. He appeared in the very 
zenith of liis iiitell(>ctual powers, and his friends had abuii- 
<lant reason to believe that he yet luwl a long and useful career 
before him. There was no Kansaii whom the people of the 
State delighted more to honor. They were proud of the record 
he had made, a record that adoiiis the brightest jiages of our 
history. Xo wonder, when, on that vSabbath in December, the 
sorrowful news was flashed over the wires that Senator Plumb 
was dead, there was deep and sincere mourning. Ko wonder, 
when the funeral car moved out. and all along the line, from 
the capital city to his Kansas home, the people stood with un- 
<'Overed heads. No wonder the multitudes in his beloved State 
gathered to look for the last time upon the face of the dead 
statesman. 

Becoming a resident of tbe Territory when there were a few 
isolated settlements, he had seen that earnest, struggling com- 
munity grow into a great, prosperous Commonwealth, contain- 
ing nearly a million and a half souls. During these years he 
had witnessed the establishing and building uji of institutions 
that would do credit to a much older State. He had the con- 
sciousness of having contributed in no small way to this won- 
derful transformation. He was proud of his State, had un- 
bounded faith in her future, ami expressed the hope to see the 
unfohling and develo])ment of all her resources. 



1 44 Address of Mr. lirodcrick, of Kansas, on the 

How straiijrt' it seciiis. A few shnrt weeks ati" this }rreat 
man was one of tlie reeognized leaders in the I'nited States 
Senate. ■• A living foree among living nun. lidping to mold 
public oi>ini<(n and sliape national jiolicy." I have a \iviil 
recollection of my last conversation with him. It wasoidy two 
or thiee days before his death. While he si)oke ol'the neccs 
sity of taking a few days' rest, he seemed hopeful and of good 
cheei'. I hail no thonglii that he was .standing on the river's 
bank, and within hailing distance of the l>oaiinan; bni the 
hours of his a])pointed time were numbered. 

The loss of this life is felt here at the national capital: it is 
felt in every iiandet in his Stale: Imt tliegr<'at l)erea\ emcnt 
has fallen most heavily upon the home, upon the faithful, loving 
wife and the trustful children. Thousands of sorrowing heaits 
iurn with sineerest symi)athy toward that sti-icken household. 

hi the weakiu'ss of humanity, but with bicdniing reverence, 
we are prone to inquire why the earth]\ career of such a life 
closed so soon: why the light was so early extinguislwd. 

O Death, what art Ilimi ' a Law.'ivor that iievi'i allciutli. 

Fixiiif;tlicocmsuiiiiiiatiiiK«eal win reby thiMlerdsol'lifc Ijccoincostablisheu; 

O Death, what art thoiif a stem aud silent usher, 

Leadinj^ to the ju<lj^iiieiit for Eternity, after the trial scene of Time; 

O Death, wb.at art thou? an hnsbandmau that reapeth always. 

Out of season, as in season, with the sickle in his hand. 

But on such an occasion as this we can not iiliilosophize. 
The mystery of death call not be solved. W ian i he mes.seuger 
comes with the dread summons the hand can not be stayed. 

.Ml that was mortal of PRESTON B. Plumh lia> jias.sed away 
forever, but the rec<n'd of work well done is imiierishable. In 
S(trrow we must submit to the decree of Heaven: the hope is 
in immortality. The life that was so active and useful here 
has not gonenut, i)ut has been transferred tuthe home l)eyonil 
the stars. 



Life a>id CharacU-y of Preston />. riitmb. \\h 



Address of Mr. Joseph D, Taylor, of Ohio. 

Mr. Joseph 1). Taylor. Mr. Speaker, fifteen years ago. on 
the -ith (lay of the present month, Preston B. Ph'MB stood 
up in the Hall of the United States Senate and took the oath 
of office. Coming- fi-oni a State upon whose soil had been fought 
the first great battle between freedom and slavery, his opinions 
upon most of the questions wliieli weie then agitating the 
country were well undcistoDd, but beyond this very little was 
known here in Wasliiiigton of the new Senator. Tall in stat- 
ure, strong in ](hysique, commanding in api)earance, <'ourteous 
in manner, outspoken in opinion, quick in thought, deliberate 
in judgment, he was not long in gaining the confidence of both 
sides of the Chamber. It was soon seen that he had a way of 
his own, and, if this way crossed the path of Senatorial dignity 
or trampled under foot the time-honored customs of the Sen- 
ate, it made uo difference to liim; he went on undisturbed, re- 
garding results more than methods. 

His suri)rising familiarity with questioiis which came before 
the Senate soon attracted attention, and the older members of 
the Senate often gave marked attention to what he said. In 
all that he did he was eminently practical. He never wasted 
time or words in reaching the turning point of a discussion. 
His strong individuality cropped out at every point, and his 
heaviest blows were always aimed at the weakest pciint of the 
opposition. Having been accustomed from boyhood to depend 
u])on himself, lie mapped out his own pathway, solved his own 
proldems, fought his own battles, and won Ids own victories. 

Senator Plumb was a natural leader, and yet he had the 
sagacity to lead without seeming to do so. In consultations he 
was a patient listener, always willing to consider every side of 

S. Mis. L'28 10 



146 Address of Joseph D. Taylor, of O/i/'o, on the 

a (luestioii: Imt when ho canii' to a conclusion and expressed 
an oiiinion he supported it witli such strun-:. terse arjjuiiients 
that it was apt to be. the judgment of all. 

His speeches were always arfjunientativc and what he said 
was always aimed rij^ht at the point. I51unt in rcjily. quick in 
repartee, i)atient in explanation, vifjorous in denunciation, lojj;- 
ical and forcible in his reasoning, he always maintained liis 
giiiund in |)iihlic di.scussions to the sati.sfactinn of his friends 
and often to the discomfort of his enemies. 

The amount of work he did was a marvel; the way in which 
he did it was a greater marvel. Ilis indomitable will, bis 
active l)rain, his sleepless vigilance, his natural ambition to 
do every thing well, knew no limit and was circumvented by 
no ob.stacle. Although born in 1S37 and although he sjient 
his early life on the frontier, amid the hardships and sacritices 
of pioneer life, an<l went out in resjKmse to his country's call 
when the storm clouds of war hung thickly over the southern 
horizon, he seemed as young and vigorous as most men do at 
40 years of age. 

In view of the fact that Senator Plumb was born in Ohio. I 
have been asked to say something on this occasion, and 
although I was sjuiken to only a few days since 1 am glad to 
have an oi)portunity of expressing my admiration tor a man 
who has honored alike his native and adopted States. He was 
born in 1 >claware County, Ohio, only a short distance mu-th 
of the capital of the State, in a county which is known througli 
out the country as the location of the Ohio Wesleyau Univcr 
sity, one of the largest universities in the country. He learned 
his tiade as printer at Gambler, Ohio, and established his lirst 
business enterprise at Xenia, Ohio, as editor, part owner, and 
manager of a newspaper. 

This was his lirst business cnterpri.se and the field of his 
first ambition; but the thrilling news from the plains of Kan- 



Life a:id Charaitcr nf Preston J>. Pliinih. 147 

sas tuiiclied his heart and stirred his brain, and he was soon 
on his way to that then ta roll' Territory. Tlie events of those 
historic years seem unreal now. when those dreary |ihnns have 
been transformed into a hmd of promise, when the Territory 
is now a great and prosjieioiis State; bnt there was a time 
when life or ileath meant Httle and wlien freedom or shivery 
meant everything in Kansas, and this was the time wlicn 
Preston B. Plumb, as a boy, stepiied ui)on the threshold of 
the struggle and took jiart in all the conflicts which weie 
waged from that hour until the freedom of the State from 
slavery was secured and secured forever. 

We are ]ii'ond of our young men in Ohio, and while we a])pre- 
ciate how much Ohio lost by the transfer of Senator Plumb 
to Kansas we are no less proud of his great career because it 
was achieved in a sister State, and we join hands and hearts 
with Kansas in doing honor to an Okio boy who has not only 
honored two great States, but has honored a great country 
and left us all a legacy of whiidi we can be justly proud. Tw 
his wiihiw and chihlren, who sit in sorrow beneath tliis great 
shadow, we send our sympathies and our tears and ask for 
Ohio the privilege of sharing in the sorrows as well as the 
lutnors that crowd ui)on us m an hour like this. 

On the lirst day of the jiresent session of this Congress 1 
came with Senator Pli'MB to this city. He was m one sleeping 
car, I was in another, on the same train. He invited me to go 
111 his car and I did so, and later on he came into mine and we 
talked a great while and on many subjects. He handed me a 
card on which he wrote the name of an individual whom he 
recommended as a suitable person to be consulted in a matter 
of business in which some of my friends are interested. Only 
once did he refer to his health, which he said was not very 
good, and he attiiliuted it in i)art to too much hard work and 
in part to sickness in his family, which he said had caused him 
a great deal of aiixietv. 



148 Address of Joseph D. Taylor, of Ohio, on the 

\\\' talked i)(iliti<-s as well as business and discussed the 
juiispt'cts and ]in>liablf candidates of the coming cami)aifru. 
In all that was said, with this single excejilion, there was only 
the sparkle and clicci nt' luall h and happiness. His life seemed 
radiant with liopc and sunshine and his heart was full of kind- 
ness for all. We separated at the dejiot and did not meet 
again. When the news of his death eanu' it seemed as if some 
friendhadfallenhy my side. It seemed impossilde! I lookout 
of my pocket the diary in which was the card he had handed 
me. There was his handwriting, and around that card gath- 
ered the words he had spoken, and between the lines there 
seemed to be written, ■•Re ye therefore ready also; for the 
Son (if Man conieth al an hour when ye think not." 

There was a link of friendship between Senator PLUMB and. 
myself which was always mentioned when we met; that was 
his friendship for Col. T. H. Anderson, wlio is now the minister 
plenipotentiary to Pxilivia. South Aincricn. who stmlied law in 
my otiice and was for many years my law partner. 1 haveoften 
beard Col. Anderson express his admiration for Senator Pn.MU, 
and 1 have a letter in my possession now in which Senator 
I'LiMi! refers very kindly to ('dl. .Vndeison. 

There are many things that can be said of a man's i)rivate 
character, his relati(ms to family and home, to wife and chil- 
4lren. frieiuls and neighbors, more beautiful than those which 
relate to public life w honored careers; but they will be si)okeu 
b.\- those who were better acquainted with the deceased than 
I was and who can s|»eak of these sacred relations umre apjiro- 
]u-iately than 1 can. 

r.ui I know enough of Senator Plumb's private life to honor 
him tor his love of home and family, for his interest in his 
friends and neighlxu's, for the love he had for his native State, 
to which he always turned witli a kindly heart: for the inrer- 
est he took in the town of Em[ioria. that lieaulifiil ami attrac- 



Life and Character of Preston />'. Pluiiih. 149 

tlve city of till' \\tst, of wliicli he was one of 1 lit' founders. 
"When I walked uloii<j tlie streets of Kiiiiioria, lined with shade 
trees on every side, and looked at the blocks of htiil(lini;s, so 
■well and so |ierinanently bnilt. I could not reali/.i' that I'^nipo- 
ria had grown to what it is within the lifetime of any man ; aTuI 
yet it liiis crown since 8enator PiA'MB planted the tirst fonn- 
dation stone, and Kansas in the meantime has gjrown to he a 
great State, and is destined in the years to come to be one of 
the greatest States in this Union. 

When I said that Senator I'niMU was a Icailer 1 did not 
mean that he had not been inflnenced by others. When he 
went to Xenia, Ohio, to become a young editor he met there 
tliat grand old Methodist preacher, (iranville bloody, who was 
fnll of patriotism and abolitionism and always ready to preach 
or fight for the freedom r)f the slave or the overthrow of intem- 
perance. I have understood that Senator Pn'JTB was a great 
admirer of Granville ^Nloody, and I do not know wlio could help 
admiring that noble man who has ever heard him speak, or 
pleach, or talk, as I have often ilone, and I do not doubt that 
Senator Plujib carried into Kansas the same tire and enthu- 
siasm which (iranville Moody enkindled wherever he went. 
No man is entirely original. The thoughts which crash through 
the brain, the words which burn yind blister on the lip. the 
gentle sunshine which tills the heart, come rolling down through 
the centuries and are as immortal as the mind itself. 

We think the thoughts of others; we speak the words of 
others; we do the acts of others; we go through life stepping 
in the footprints of those whom we admire and honor, whether 
we know it or not; but there is a difference after all between 
men in their individuality. Two men may be equally great in 
certain eharaeteristics which the worhl admires and yet one 
may be a hero and the other a coward; one may insist on as- 
serting his manhood and conscience at all times and under all 



loO Address of Joseph D. Taylor, of Ohio, on the 

fircuiustiiuces, while tin- ntlier cowers in the preseiict- of public 
.sciitiiueiit and docs not daif to be himself. Senator Plvmb, 
however, always dared to be himself, and. w liether he stood 
aloue or was supported by others, he had the ciiuraye of liis 
cousciencc and tlic di^nily nf his nianliood as Ids rock of de 
fense. 

There is no State, Mr. Si)eaker. in the Union so nuich like 
Ohio in its legislation and laws as Kan.sas. Having sonic in- 
terests in that State, I have had occasion to be there very often, 
and have always noticed this remarkable uniforndty. The 
nianafienicnt of public affairs in Kansas ditVers very little if 
any. from the mana^icmcnt of public affairs in Oliio. I have 
often wondered at this resemblance and ha\f lieard it spidcen 
<if by others, and 1 thiidv I can now account i'or it largely by 
noting tile connecting link between these two States, which is 
f(mnd in the life of Senator I'i.tmi?. lie was born in Ohio, 
learned the printers" trade in Ohio, edited ami publisiied Ins 
lir.st newspaper in Oliio. studied law in Ohio, attended two 
courses of law lectures in Cleveland, Ohio, was admitted to the 
bar in Ohio, and was subseiiuently married in Ohio. 

Going to Kansas, as he did, as printer, editor, lawyer, soldier, 
piditician. wlien the Territory of Kansas was a trackless prairie, 
and jiarticipating, as he did. in framing the constitution and 
in making the laws of Kansas when the Territory became a 
State, it was natural encmgh that he should, as far as po.ssible, 
iojiy into the constitution and la\v> uf Kansas the coustitutioii 
and laws of Ohio, and I am persuaded that no other one indi- 
vidual had so inucli tixloin making Kansas so much like Ohio 
as our lamciitcii anil Inmorcd Senator. 

Ml. Speaker, the diic thing that has astonished me re than 

all else besides, since I have been in Congress, is the freipiency 
with which death crosses the thresh(dd of this Hall. Seat 
after seat has been vacated, funeral after funeral has taken 



Life and Chanutiy o/ I'liiloii /!. /'/iini/i. 151 

place, and scarcely a siiiulc inoutli passes tioin the oiieiiiii,n' to 
the close of a session of Coiij-ress wit liout the startling api)ear- 
auce of this great shadow. 

"Ill the midst of life we are in death" is trne everywhere, 
but it seems to have a double meaning t(; the meiiil)ers of 
this House, and its warning voice needs to lie wiitten upon 
the walls of this Chamber and lu'i)t fresh in the memories of 
those who sit beneath the Dome of tliis ('ai)itol. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Otis of Kansas. 

Mr. Otis. Mr. vSpeaker, Senator Pli'mb was a man of deeds, 
and not of long speeches. Action, bold, energetic, and persist- 
ent, was characteristic of the man. He had the courage to 
dare, and also the ability to do. Educated in the school of 
adversity in early youth, he was equal to prosperity in mature 
manhood. Political honors did not elate him. He was always 
iu touch with the common people. He was great in his sim- 
lilicity. Elected Senator from a State born in the throes of 
political revolution, l)aptizcd in the blood of freedom, aud 
whose early history is written in the crimson letters of an irre- 
pressilile contlict, called u])on to represent a constituency pre- 
eminently industrious and enterprising, intelligent and pro- 
gressive, his task in the legislative councils of the nation was 
one fraught with Herculean labor and great responsibility. 

And now beside the freshly sodded grave all partisan feeling 
vanishes aud the mantle of charity is kindly thrown over all 
human frailties. But Preston B. Plumb was by nature a 
l)atriot, and not a partisan, in any offensive sense, as the term 
is usually applied. ^Ir. Speaker. I have no desire to engage 
in fulsome eulogy; but could that inanimate canvas hanging 
from the wall upon your right by s(jRie magic process become 
imbued witli life, and George Washington speak to the as- 



152 .ItMi-fss of Mr. Olisy of A'aiisus., on the 

semblcil Ki'in-cscntativi's in this Ihill. nr^iins iipmi thorn to 
" lifwaiT ot'tlic spirit ofjiaity" and to phicc •• ratriotisiii be- 
fori' partisanisHi," he would Imi Miicc the honest convictions 
of him whose niemoiy we seek to honor here to-day. 

Could tlic };alhiut Lafayt'ttc, there upon the left, he heard in 
accents hold and tree, he could not as a libcrtylovinj; French- 
man utter woids in behalf of siifierinj; hnniauily and free insti- 
tutions more potent than nniny of the words and deeds of our 
I\ansas Senator. He risked his own life to save the life of a 
disabled wayfarinj: traveler. A native of Ohio, he early emi- 
grated to Kansas and became thoroughly identified with her 
early history and iicr mateiial interests. If 1 am i)ermitted 
to notice any sectional distinction, he was preeminently wliat 
might be called •■ a western man; " but "western" in the sense 
of being brave and liroad. even world-wide. ICvery instinct 
of his nature drew him toward tlie toiling masses and away 
from the spoliating classes. Whilst national in the truest 
sense, he could not sit idly by and see one section dominate 
over another. I'Vom our stantl]>oint no higher tribute could 
be jiaid to the deceased than to (|Uote from his remarks of 
August 1 and .lune (J. ISiiO, in the Senate of the United States. 
The Idghest eulogy of the dead should l)e measured by their 
deeds and words while living. 

On August I. 18'.((», in speaking upon the laiilf i|uestion. he 
used this truthful language: 

•■ Let us seek for some means for raising the revenue for the 
Government besides imjjosing these great and enormous duties 
upon the articles in common use by the people. Let us invoke 
some of Ilie init'lligeuce and ability wliieli are [tossesscd by 
American statesmen to discover means and articles u)Min \\ hieii 
taxes can be imposed witliout distressing the poor." 

On June 0, 1890, speaking upon the money (juestion. lie said : 

"Any legislation which I consent to must permanently widen 



Liji and Cliaractcr of Preston />'. l'Iit»il). 153 

the base, must cilliei- recognize bolli iiic(:ils as iiioiicy or imist, 
(liscanl Ixitli Miiil put in llirir place pajuT inmicy, llic \<>luiiii^ 

(if whicli can 1 xpaiidcd so as to meet llie increasing- needs 

of iiicreasin;L;- liiisiness. Areliiiiiedes said that if he liud a place 
to put his tulciuiii he could lift the woild. (!i\e the American 
people the base on which to plant tjieii- feet, with increasiii}^ 
breadth to meet incieasin.n needs: ni\c them tiic linancial 
instrumentalities which tiiey need for the develo])nient of their 
resources, inom for the exercise of their iutelligeuce, their en- 
terprise, their courage, they will not only move the world, but 
they will lead it." 

Alter all that his distinguivShed colleagues iu the Senate 
have spoken in hi.s praise it is useless for me to tiu-ther extend 
remarks in this direction. His services are missed. But whilst 
bis death is looked upon as a, public h>ss, alas! what shall we 
say of the loss to wife and children ? Here sjteech becomes 
powerless and words lose their siguiiicauce! Upon such an 
occasion he speaks most feelingly who uses fewest words. 
Sometimes sympathy is most ki'cnly expressed in profound 
silence. In closing I will simply (juote the language used by 
himself upon a similar occasion in honor of Senator Beck of 
Kentucky : 

"Thus once more mc pay farewell hon(ns to one who was a 
leader among its, whose talents challenged our admiration, and 
whose candor and amiability of nature and tenacious fidelity 
to duty will continue an example worthy of imitation through 
all coming time." 



154 Address of Ml . fozciiscnd, of Colorado, ou the 



ADDRESS OF Mr. TOWNSEND, OF COLORADO. 

Mr. TowNSK.NU. Mr. Speaker, tlic dcatli of Senator Plumb 
■was a slioek to his friends anrl to tlio conntry. To those who 
kiirw liiin personally lie was the einliodinient of ])hysieal eiidnr- 
auce, courage, and manhood. No one, unless it were Lis most 
intiniat(> frieiuls, was aware that he was troubled with any ail- 
ment, much less that he was so snddeidy to be stricken fatally. 

No event con Id more Inicihly teach the lesson tliat in 1 1 midst 

of life we are iu death." It is therefore most |iro]>er that we 
should sto]) for a brief liour and consider tliis remarkable man. 
M hose career has been so illustrious. Nothiiii;' that words can 
convey will relieve the deej) grief and sadness and sorrow that 
enshrouds ilic lioinc and f:imiiy of this departed husband and 
father, wiiose domestic \irtues were unexcelled liy his fame 
and worth and abilits- as a statesman. I5ut wc may be able 
to say something of tliis man's life that shall prove of value to 
others wiio are animated liy an honorable aiiiliition. For — 

Livfs of great men all remiml us 

\Vu can maki- our lives suliliuif. 
And, (Icpaitiuj;, leave behind ns 

Footjirint.s on the sands ot' time. 

Foot|)rinls \vhi<'Ii perliajis anmlier 

Sailin;; o'er life's dreary main. 
A foiloru and shipwreilied lirother, 

•Si-eing. may talie heart a]Ltain. 

Prestox B. Plumb has furidsiied another illustrious ex- 
ample of what honorable; ambition, sterling maidiood, and dili 
geid industry may accom]>lisli under the beneficent intlneiu'es 
of our free instituli(in>. I'rce republican government canolVcr 
no higher testimonial to the liunuin race than that, under its 
liberal o])])ortunities. its eidargcd freedom, its wise ri'gard for 
the rights and jirivileges of the individual citizen, it has been 



Life a>id Cliaractcr ofPrcs/on B. riniiil). V^^i 

so prolific ill its (Icvclniniiciit of incii wlio in tiic arts and 
sfii'Mces, ill reliuioii and ixilitics. in war and in statesniaiisliip, 
liavf added to limnaii urcatnes.s, as well as to tlic lionor, s'lory, 
and fame of tln'ir country. Tiic iccord and iiislory of tlic life 

of Senator I'Ll'^II! will lie i e eiricieiill\- stated iiy others 

who are more familiar with the details tliaii I am. Yet a 
glance at his life is necessary to fully coinprelieiid his iichieve- 
meiits and the more |irominent features of his character. 

Boru in IS.'JT, he was elected to the Ignited State Senate in 
1S77, at the age of 40 years, and at the time of his death, 
after three elections and over fourteen years' service in that 
lionoralile body, it would lie unjust to say that liis intluence 
and usefulness were not e(inal to that of any other memher. 
Learning the juiiiters' trade at 12 years of age, establishing 
a newspaper when only l(! at Xenia, Ohio, he removed to 
Kansas in 185(! at the age of '11> years and began the career 
that made him conspicuous in his State and throughout the 
nation. 

The political conditions existing in Kansas in LS.JtJ are 
matters of public history, but at this time no (uie will contro- 
vert the statenient that the establishment on the plains of 
Kansas of a Territory and a State devoted to free soil and free 
men precipitateil the war of the rebellion. The environment 
of his earl>' manhood made him love liberty and hate slavery; 
taught him that freedom was one of the inalienable rights of 
man and respect for those lights the duty of every good citizen. 
At iT) he was a member of the legislature of his State and 
re|)orter for the supreme court. In IStii,' he enlisted in the 
Union Army and rose rapidly to the rank of iieiiteiiant-colonel 
of his regiment. In 180(! we find him again in the legislature 
of his State and s|)eaker of the house of re])reseutatives, and 
in ISTl' he was made jiresident and manager of a bank at Em- 
poria, Kaiis., where lie resided. 



156 Address of Mr. Toicnscnd, of Colorado^ on t/ie 

I'crhaps tin- most i-nnsiPU'uous cliiuactcM-istic of this activo 
man was his suprcmi'tk'vntiKii to his duties. Ho lu-ver spari'il 
himseir. His capacity of labor was the wonder of his friends. 
He j;ave to his oflieial duties the energy, zeal, and painstak- 
ing investigation tliat made him master of every sub)e(;t upon 
wliieh lie was called to act. In deljate he was tluent of speech 
and frequently elotpient, always dear and logical, and with 
the utmost candor and absolute fearlessness, lie had an 
acute and analytical mind, tjuick percei)tion, and sound Judg- 
ment. His immense industiy.comliim-d with a wide ac(|uaint- 
ance and knowledge of business affairs, enabled him to engage 
witli great success and prolit in larg<' Ijusiness undertakings. 
His jiresence was like a breeze from the i)lains and his energy 
gave life to his occupations. He was an insi)iration to others. 
His vigorous and ruggecl manhood. cond)ined with a genial 
temper. ma<lc liim a |ileasant comiianioii and associate. He 
had hosts of personal Iricnds. and his iMipiilarity was great 
wherever he was personally known. This was esjiecially true 
in the NN'est. where he was widely known. His sympathies 
were keen and wei'e readily touched. 

He was a man of llic jpeoiple. and caie I'or thcii- interest was 
the law of his olBcial life. He stood among his fellow men 
like one of the loftier ])eaks in a mountain range. The eyes 
of thousands were turnecl in his direction. It is believed by 
many that, had his lilc been spared, higher and greater honors 
awaited him. His death seems untimely; it was so sudden, so 
unexpected; but sad and ])aiiifid as it may be it is the law of 
our being and is inex<U'able. WC should l>e pre])ared to meet 
it at any time and approacli tlic gra\i' like one who — 
wraps tlir ilra]iriv of his cumli 
About him :iuil lies iliiwu to pleasant ilreams. 



Life and Character of Preston JJ. Plumb. 157 



Address of Mr. Davis, of Kansas. 

Mr. Davis. Mr. Speaker, we are here to pay the hist tribut* 
of respect of the liviiij;- to the dead. Nothing- that we can say 
or do can change the condition of iiini whose memory we liere 
commemorate. Bnt. on the other liand, we may both comfort 
and benefit the living. We may hold np examples to be either 
imitated or shnnned. The snbject of our remarks to-day is au 
example of what may be accomplished by an American yonth 
of energy and indnstry under favorable conditions. He came 
to Kansas when that State was full of rich natural and polit- 
ical opportunities. He knew how to grasp them and u.se them 
and his life was a financial ami political success. 

I'RESTON B. Plumb, of Emporia, Kans.. was born in Dela- 
ware County, Ohio, October 12, 1837; he received a common- 
school education and learned the art of printing; he removed 
to Kansas in lS5ti ; was a member of the Leavenworth consti- 
tutional convention in 1S5!»; was admitted to the bar in 1861; 
served in the lower house of the legislature in 1802, and was 
chairman of the Judiciary committee, and subsequently re- 
porter of the supreme court. In August of the same year he 
entered the Army as second lieutenant in the Eleventh Kan- 
sas Infantry, and served successively as captain, major, and 
lieutenant-colonel of that regiment; and was commissioned as 
colonel of the same regiment in August, 1862. He was a mem- 
ber and sjieaker of the Kansas liou.se of rejn-esentatives in 
1866, and also a member in the following year; he was elected 
to the Ignited States Senate to succeed -lames M. Harvey, and 
took his seat March 4, 1877, and was reidected in 188;:! and 1888. 

Col. Plujeb did good service in his country's cau.se, and wa.-> 
duly ht)nored by his countrymen, in recognition of his ability 
and patriotism. In politics Senator Plumb was a Eepublicau; 



158 .-Iddnss of Mr. Dazis, o/' A'ansas, on the 

yet on the (juestidiis of finaiiee and taritl' lie ol'tcu testilietl and 
bravely contended on the side of the jteoph-. Many of his 
ablest speeches are models of lojcic, tnilli. and patriotism. I 
onee wrote him a letter of thanks for noble words spoken in 
the United States Senate. He rejilied fnlly and frankly: 

"What yon coininend me for is what I have been doing; ever 
since I have been in Cong:ress. That is to say. I have ojipo.sed 
the cfintraetion of the currency. I have advocated the enlarge- 
ment of the volume of the cnrrency, and I ])ro|iosed the amend- 
ment, which you so highly eoniniend. to w liill jx'iiding: in the 
Senate four years ago. It was not adopted, but 1 did all I 
could to have it adopted. Generally speaking, 1 have no doubt 
you and 1 would agree about matters conceriung the currency. 
At all events I can say that the views that I had when I came 
to the Senate, and which I have often expressed, have under- 
gone no change, unless it he that they are more fixed than 
ever. I do not l)elieve in a currency to be provide<l by the 
banks, because, 1 can not conceive that the volume of such a 
currency would be inevitably a«lapted to the needs of the 
country." 

My acquaintance with Preston B. Ph'mh commenced in 
IST.'J, when, on his invitation, 1 was called to address the iieo- 
ple of his ('ounty at the Lyon County fair. I thus became a 
guest in his fanii!\ . I'roni that time to the day of his death 
our acrpiaintance and frieudshij) continued. Although we 
sometimes crossed i)olitical swords in the newsiiapers, and 
met each other in public and, joint debate, yet these incidents 
worked no i)ersonal alienation. Thrungh all these years the 
(rhain of friendship and personal regard and appreciation re- 
mained unbroken. His was a jjractical mind of large com 
l)rehension. His was a power wliich molded men. His third 
election to the I'mted States Senate was unanimous by the 
legislature, in a Sfati- diarged to the explosive jjoint with 



Life and ChiuacUr oj Pnslon />'. riumb. 159 

liviiij;- tlioii.ylir ;iiui |iiilitic;il icvoliitioii. I li- was ciniiu'iitly ;i 
mail (if deeds. lie spoke freely and lioldl y, but he was most 
noted for action. 1 1 was a common exjn-ession in Kansas on 
snddeneniergt'iieies: '-What will In-alls say?" And. "VVliat 
^viII Plumh do?" 

But I am not here for detailed history lun- alone for eulot;'y. 
The liviiijj must be ))eiielited or our words here are for naui;lit. 

The sudden deatii of Senator PuMi! should remind ns that 
at all times we are subjoet to call by the Great Leveler of 
FTumanity. There is no moment of life when "the tall, the 
wise, the reverend In^ad" may not be called to lie as low as 
the iiumblest. There is no time- when our loved ones may not 
be called to taste the same anguish and to sutler the same 
lieartl)n'ak which afflict tlie stricken family in Emiioria. All 
that breathe must share the same fate. Tlie joyous may laugh 
till the summons c(mies. The sad may plod on in their melan- 
choly, the ambitious may chase their jihantoms, and the work- 
ers may not cease tlieii- labors. Yet mirth and melancholy, 
work and ambition, must have an end. All of man that is 
mortal will find its bed in dust '-as the long train of the ages 
glides away." Youth and manhood, the matron and the maid, 
and soft breathing' infancy will And the same' level in their 
last narrow bed of rest. Yet there is an immortal soul which 
sleeps not in lifeless clay. A spark of life from the eternal 
altar which never ceases to .glow, destined to endless life and 
growth. With this, liojie. Oh man ! 

•So live, that when thy siuiiuiuns (.-(imfs to join 
Tho imiuiiiPralile caravan whicli moves 
To that iiiysterioas n-alm where, each shall tak<! 
His chamber in tlio silent halls of death, 
Thon go not. like the iinarry-slave at night, 
Sconrged to his dungeon, but snstained and soothed 
By an nnlaltcring trust, approach thy grave 
Liki' one that wraps the drapery of his couch 
About him and lies down to pleasant dreams. 

— Uri/ant. 



160 Address of Mr. />arfi)u\ of Xcz-ada., on the 

On occasiciiis like tins the tlicni;ilitf'til mind looks with cosmic 
view ami inlinite humility t'lum this shoit life into the eterni- 
ties of the i>:ist anil ilic I'niurf, ami the sjiirit of the favorite 
verses of the grt-ai Lim'oln s|»intanconsly arises to aid in 
'•celebratiug our grief:" 

oh, why shouhl the spirit of uiortal In- |iiouiH 
Like a fost-llittiiifr meteor, a fast-flyiiifr ehmil, 
A Hash of the llKhtiiiii;;. a break of the wave. 
He passeth from life to his rest in the grave. 

The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade, 
Be scattered around, and toi^ether lie laid: 
And the youn^ and the ohi. and the low and the high 
Sliall iiioUlir to dusi and together shall die. 

>So the multitude jioes. like the tlower or the weed. 
That withers away to let others succeed; 
So till' multitude comes, even those we l>ehold. 
To npoat every tale that has often lieeii fidd. 

'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draft of a hreath. 
From the Idossom <d" health to the paleness of death, 
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud; 
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? 



Address of Mr. Bartine, of Nevada. 

Mr. Bartine. Mr. Speaker. I wasne\ei- mide iiaiiifully im- 
pressed with the niK-ertainty of human lilc than when, on the 
I'Oth day of Deeeinber last, I learned that the senior Senator 
from Kansas was ilead. When I came here as a new member 
of the Fifty-first Congress, one of the earlie.st friendshijis 1 
formed at the other end of the <'ai)itol was with PRESTON B. 
PuMB. There was Ironi the first a bond of sympathy between 
us in tlie eiriMimstance that one of his brothers is a friend and 
eoustitnent of mine in the State of Nevada. 

I already knew the Senator, in a general way. by his imlilie 



Life and Chamrh-r of /')rs/oii Jl. I'liimb. Hil 

career and national ii-pntation, and npon nicctinii liini 1 was at 
once attracted by his strong personality and .uenial nature. 
During the first few weeks of the present session I was sutler- 
ing from illness and was nol able to be in my seat. When par- 
tially recovered, but still very weak, I came to the Capitol one 
day and entered the Senate Chandjer. Ahuost the tirst Sena- 
tor to greet me was Mr. Plumis. Well do [ remembi'r the cor- 
diality of his welcome and the kindly solicitude with which he 
spoke of my illness. In less than a week he was gone. Little 
would anyone who saw us then have supposed that the stal 
wart Senator, with his robust, almost giant physique, would 
so soon lie beneath the sod and I be spared to take part in the 
memorial service of this day. 

Truly has it been said that " in the midst of life we are in 

death." 

The -tlistinguished Senator from Kansas was stricken down 
in the full prime of vigorous manhood. Judging from api>ear- 
ances, we W(mld have said that he had a quarter of a century 
of strong and useful lif(* before him. We can not do otherwise 
than lament the death of such a man at such an ag.-. In the 
great ocean of time the utmost span of a human life is but as 
the "twinkling of an eye." It begins, it is gone, and the eter- 
nity of the future is as measureless as before. 

To the individual possessor of that mysterious thing which we 
call life it makes but little difference whether it close at 2.5 years 
or be extended to a century. Whether his spirit wing its flight 
to the Christian's " Home of the soul" or sink into Nirvana's 
dreandess calm, the length of his earthly existence is to him a 
matter of trivial .'onceru. But it is freighted with inq)ortance 

to others. 

Man comes and man goes, but men, like the brook, "go on 
forever." Generation follows generation as the seasons follow 
each other, and every generation aims at a higher ideal than 
the one which went before. 
S. Mis. L>2S 11 



162 .IMn-ss of Mr. Bar tine, of Nevada, on the 

Theii'lore, in t lie great progressive march of mankind it does 
make a ditTeience whether the life of such a man lie length- 
ened lint or lie lironght t<i a iireinatnrc cud. When we con- 
sider his intcllcttiial strcn;;tli, his capacily fur lalic.r. the 
breailth and generosity of his nature, and his warm love for 
his fellow man, who can measure the amount of good that 
might have come from twenty years UKirc of such a life? One 
little thought germinating in the secret chambers of a single 
brain may impress itself upnii tlie minds (if niitdld millions, 
change the fortunes (if mighty nations, anil shape the des- 
tinies of a world. 

Senator Plumb was a tireless worker. His mind was ever 
active and full ol' jilaiis tor the iiniirovemeiil nf .society. His 
ideas were broad, national, and tiinronghly American. He 
mad*' no claim to perfection; his friends make no such claim 
for him. Had he been perfect he Wdukl not have been human, 
lie would have been at oner aliove our appreciation ami be- 
yond our comprehension. He was simply a iuanlymau,in whom 
the ((ualities wliicl.i insjiire love ami admiration largely pre- 
dominated. 

His life was a lesson that sliouid never be lost upon the 
youth of our land. I'.orn with the love of liberty in his heart, 
that sentiment grew and blossomed and ripened upon the 
plains of Kansas. In the midst of stormy ami turbulent .scenes, 
frequently ending in strife and liloodslied. as a mere boy he 
helped lay the foundationsof one of the greatest and grandest 
States of the .Vmerican rnion. That sanu' love of liberty, i-om- 
bined with patriotism, made him a .soldier of the Union, and 
upon the battle field he displayed the same resolution and de- 
termined eoui-age that distingnislii'd liini in civil life. 

His career in the Senate was in the highest degree honorable 
both to him.self and the people whom he represented. He was 
not what could fairly be called an orator. He thought more of 



Life and Cliaracliy of Preston />'. Piiiiii/t. I(i;5 

the idea than of tlie laiiiiua^'c iti wliidi it was clothed. There 
was a lack of those <;r;icefiil inoveiiieiits, the ek^uaiit roiiiidinjr 
of ])ei'iods, the heautiful imagery and word paiiitiiit; that luark 
the polished orator. 

But he was uevertlieless a strikiiit;ly coiispicnous figuie iu 
that body. A close student, a thorough investigator, familiar 
with nearly every detail of governuieutal administration, a 
clear, incisive, and ready debater, he shrank from no encounter. 
His lance was ever couched, and it seldom failed to reach the 
object at which it was aimed. But he always struck in a spii'it 
of kindness and never intentionally gave pain. Associated with 
some of tlie sf rongest intellects of the age, he grew and strength- 
ened by the association. His tremendous physical energy and 
mental activity enabled him to transact an amount of work 
that is almost incredible; and the impress of bis sturdy and 
practical mind has been left upon many a page of the statute- 
books of the country. 

.Mr. PlidiB was a Republican and deeply imbued with the 
fundamental principles of that party. He realized, however, 
that no political organization can be uniformly right, and upon 
matters of detail, not going to the principles ujion which 
the party was founded, he was boldly and soiiu'times ag- 
gressively independent. More than once he drew upon himself 
the censure of his party associates. I>iit it was political cen- 
sure only. He was a brave and honorable opponent, never 
lurking in darkness, never tiring from ambusli, but always in 
the clear light of day, fighting upon ojien ground, and he held 
the respect and esteem of his brother Senators to the last. As 
a member of a body in which it is generally believed that 
patrician ideas have to some extent found a lodgment, "Slv. 
Plumb was essentially and distinctly a tribune of the people. 

Although possessing an ample fortune, his tastes were plain 
and simple, and no icy barrier separated him from the toiling 



164 Address of Mr. Bartinc, of Nevada., on the 

millions of his touutiymeii. Hi' remi'iiibeicd the luiiiittle 
cradlt' ill which lit- was lorki-d; he it'iiR'inbi'rcd the i>overty 
of his early youth; he leiufuiheied the road hy which he iiad 
traveled to fortune. He realized that, while he liad been suc- 
cessful in acquiring wealth, favoring eircmnstauces had guided 
and directed his efl'orts. He knew full well that a man's sue 
cess in business is not by any menus a fair test of either his 
moral or intellectual worth. To him it made im ditferenee 
whether a man were a millionaire or a day laborer. He judged 
both by the same standard: the (|Ualities of manhood which he 
found them to possess. C(>smoi)olitan enough to love the wliole 
human family and rejoice in the prospei'ity of every nation, 
he yel loved liis own cdUiitiy better liiaii lie lo\e(i any other 
country; he loved the American people better than he loved 
any other people, and he loved the people of Kansas a little 
better than he loved the people of any other State. 

And no iieiiple e\(M liad a iimre laillil'ul public servant than 
those for wlioin lie spoke and acted in the Senate of the United 
States. 

From morn till e\e, and away into the small hours ut' the 
night, he toiled cm and on. And when the busy Inaiii ceased 
its working, when the strong heart was suddenly stilled, the 
great changi! found him in the conscientious discharge of his 
duty. When he died, Kansas was robed in mourning. It 
seemed as if a shadow ha<l entered every household. Every 
Kausan felt that he had lost a frieml. and the heart of the 
whole nation throbbed in sympathetic accord. His work has 
been done, and well done; the Journey of his life has ended; 
beneath the -soil of the State he loved so well he is sleeping his 
last sleep; his soul is mingling with the inlinite and the un- 
known. 

To the family so near and ilear to him in life we can only 
.speak words of consolation. Their loss has been irreparable. 



f.ifc and Chai-aclcr of Preston B. I'liiDih. 1(ir> 

OiK' liits hccii taken from tlieiu who fan never he rej)laee(I, linh 
I tnist they may (ind sonm comfort in knowinj,' tluit (ho 
nation sliares tlieir jirief. May tlie h.ad of their sorrow bo 
lijjlitened by tlie faith that, far from (lie scenes of earthly care, 
the spirit of tlieir loved one is lioveriui; o'er them and cheering 
them vritli the sweetest words of iiope. Fnmi the silence so 
profound may there come tlie dear familiar voice, saying unto 
them : 

Tht" liviiiff are the only (lend: 

TlLe (lead live, nevermore to die; 
And often when we nionvu tlieni fled, 

They never were ko nifrh. 



The joys we lose are hut forecast, 
And we shall lind them all once more; 

We look behind ns for the past. 
But lo! 'tis all Ijefore. 



Address of Mr. Gate, of Arkansas, 

Mr. Cate. Mr. Siicaker. my ac(inaiutaiice with the late Sen- 
ator from Kansas, of whom it is my privilege to .speak at this 
time, was so limited as to preclude me from making any ex- 
tended comment on his personal characteristics and virtues. 

What I may submit will be the views and impressions that 
have come to me in an official or general way. 

Others more favored in being permitted to know him more 
intimately have spoken, and will speak, of his great personal 
worth and his noble private cliaracter. 

It is my iirovince to regard him almo.st entirely from the. 
record he has made, from the impress that he has left upon 
the th(5Ughts and feelings of his people, the "footprints" he has 
left "upon the sands of time." 

Of commanding ability and unending industry, with a fac- 



Ififi Address of Mr. Catc, of Arkansas, on the 

uli.v t'lir work and :i ilisiM.sitii.ii I.. <li> it faithfully, yet appar- 
ently liDUiidless ill the <iiasi) of his cinnpieheiisinn. foultlessly 
acciiiate ill details, niiiek to pciceJM' his (ipixiitunities and 
ever ready ti> utilize them, lie loi iiiuhitc il lii- plans with un- 
enin{;judj;nient and ixeeiited them with unfaltering holduess. 

I'nssessing thus within himself all the elements of sueeess. 
he sueeeeded. 

He was at once thcproduet ami tliei-\| cut of that pi'--iiliar 

civili/ation and intellijieut development which has made re- 
markable the histiny of our raee in the last half of the nine- 
teenth eentury and recorded its frrandest aehieveuieuts in the 
jnofrress of our peat liepublic. lie was piei-minently ''a man 
of aftairs," and withal a jiatriot and a statesman. 

In the lifeaiid in the death of Senator Pi.rMB we are taught 
two lessons. 

In his busy, earnest lile and its ailiievements we learn that 
under oui- free instituiions no lidunds are set to the possibilities 
of intellectual endeavor directed by a clear Judynu-nt and sup- 
jdemented by industry: in his death we learn that there is a 
jihysieal limit to liuman endurance. 

So far as tiie first lan lie c-oiisidcred. lie was only within the 
threshold of his accomplishments: what he might have done 
had he been given the allotted sjian. n< <-an conjecture. 

As to the last, he had reached the end. The bow too often 
and too severely bent had broken whii<' many arrows were yet 
uiispi'il anil in tlic i|ni\er. 

Being one of tho.se who aicomiianied his remains to their 
last resting-place, an op[)ortunit.\- was afforded me to ascer- 
tain and observe the hold he had upon his countrymen, the 
esteem in which he was held by Ihtise among whom he had 
lived and for whom lu' had labored. 

Those formal manifestations of sorrow which mark the loss 
of an eminent citizen were tiot wanting. 



Life and Charailcr of Preston />. I'lnml). Ki? 

They were c'laboiatc in unoil taste, and i]i cA'i'ry way cnni- 
ineusuratt' witli the sulcninily anil iiiai^iiitudf of the occasiou. 

The i)aii('aiif rcincscntcd a .meat State in inourninf;' for a 
great man. 

But wliat impressed nie more liircilily was that behind these 
])ul)Iic (h-nioustiations there was a deeji and abiding |)o]mhir 
isorrow. In the erowds that tlironged the eapital eity of his 
State, and his own t-ity of lOmporia. to (h) honor to their dis 
tiuguislied dead, tliere wert- all classes of people. There were 
the sturdy mechanie, the Intelligent and thoughtful merchant, 
the studious divine, tiie eautious Itauker, the farmer bronzed 
in the sun aud wind in his praiiie home, aiid there also was 
the ever-bright face of buoyant childhood. 

People there were in thousands, but there was no business; 
the farmer exchanged no iiroduct of the soil for the wares of 
the merchant ; the banker's office was closed and the mechanic's 
shop was not open ; there was no sound of the hammer iu the 
city, and even the gladsome shout of the schoolboy was not 
heard on this sad holida.y. 

Each one seemed as if he had sutfered a personal affliction. 

The Commonwealth was mourning the loss of a statesman; 
the people were sorrowing at the death of a friend. 

The bright and progressive city where he had lived makes a 
part of the record of his life and his labors. His restless en 
ergy is seen and felt in its growth and industries, and no doubt 
in watching its progress and its prosperity he had often real- 
ized the fruition of the hopes and toils of his early manhood. 
His home was such as those who knew him would picture it to 
be; about it there was no elaborate effort at architecture, no 
affectation of the feudal castle or baronial mansion. Complete 
in its appointments, comfortable and convenient, within there 
was that air that ever pervades the abode of intelligent worth 
and prosperous effort. The books evinced a cultivated taste 
for literature ; the pictures on the wall stood for his patriotism. 



1G8 .IMrcss of Mr. Cafe, of .-irkaiisas, on the 

Contemplating' tlii'sc evideiiffs of t'onitort and fulture. I 
thonylit how often in the Itrigbt, busy years that were j;one 
liad lie who now hiy so peacefully Iieneath tin- rooftree he had 
erected to shelter those he lovcil: liow ot'icn. wearied with the 
luirdens of public life, woundeil and sickened and saddened in 
the strife incident to his career; how often had he souylit this 
home and within its walls had his braises hound up, his armor 
burnished, his conragestrengthened,and his liope renewed, and 
then goiu' forth again strong in the inspiration of home, love, 
and sympathy to other coullicts and to other triumphs. 

But he had gone out for the last time. Herolike, he had 
fallen in liic palli of ilui>- with liis aiinor mi. lie liad fought 
his last battle and was now come to slee*; his last sleep among 
those he loved so well and wlio loved him. 

One other thought and my remarks will he ended. As we 
journeyed through the land and looked ii])on its homes and its 
industries, as I watched the faces of the people who had gath- 
ered in throngs, it seemed to me that in all things there was a 
strong similarity between that country and its ])eo])le and my 
own country and its [(eojile. In the two coininunities there 
seems to be a homogeneous po])ulati(Hi; men and women with 
like fortunes and misfortunes; the same struggles, the same 
hopes and fears; a common country, one liag, a like destiny. 
Ill all tlie.se interests there is no contliet; then why slioiiid 
there be strife between us? 

As we stood by the open grave there was on my right a war- 
worn veteran who hail worn the blue, and in his eyes were 
tears; in front of me stood my colleague, who, in those dark 
daysofeisil war. followed the fortunes of the lost cause and 
whose saddened face reliected the sorrow that was in his heart. 

Here, then, in the shadow of death those who had confronted 
each other in the hour of battle had found a common ground 
on which to meet in cominoii syin])athy. 



Lift- and CharacUr of Preston B. Plitmh. 169 

Will not the time soon come when, in the presence and m tlie 
iuterest of the living, we can all make a common cause of t In- 
common good ? 

And when the bugler blew -'lights out" and turned away, 
our formal duties ended, a hoi)e spraug up in our hearts that 
in the coming years, not far away, we could blow out the lights 
which party passion and sectional prejudice have lighted to 
lead our people in divergent paths. 

May we not believe chat in the near future there will ema- 
nate from the graves of the great and good nieu in every sec- 
tion of our broad laud a sjjirit of fraternal love and affectiou, 
proclaiming to all the people, from our Northern borders to our 
Southern shores, "on earth peace, good will t-omen?" 



ADDRESS OF MR. BAKER, OF KANSAS. 

Mr. Baker. :\Ir. Speaker, I shall not attempt to give a 
historical sketch of the life of Tbeston B. rLrin?, but shall 
content myself to speal-- of him as he was seen by those who 
knew his active life. 

He whom we were led to believe was the incarnation of 
physical force and intellectual energy has fought his great 
tight, has finished his course, and we are here to-day to pay 
due respect to his memory. 

As one of the Representatives from the State of his adoption 
I feel that it is a privilege to bring my meed of praise to place 
upon the tablet of his memory. 

The couplet — 

Despair of uotliiug that you would attaiu, 
Tinvearieil diligeuce your poiut will gain— 

seemed to be tlie iusi.iration of his life. He was fully imbued 
with that mandate. -Subilu.' tli.> earth." He was energetic 



170 .Iddrcss of Mr. Biiki-r, of Kansas, on (he 

ami assidinms. diliiji'iit in all the various pursuits of life. His 
earnestness, wholc-iieartedness, and steadiness in labor enalilcd 
liim to overeonie all obstacles to liis success. Labor thai \\ ouM 
utterly have exhausted others seemed but to streii^^llien him: 
he seemed to Corbet what was behind and was ever reaehiuj;' 
forth to that wliieh was before; and in doinj; this he was but 
pressing toward the yoal for the great prize of his ambition. 

To deliberate, witli liim, was to aet. He was thereby enabled 
to obtain jxissession of mneh wliieh lie had not eontemjilated. 
He believed that everythint; was i)rofi'ressive in its nature and 
that by iiidnstrvall obstacles in lite mi^ht be overcome. With 
liliii it promoted self-respect anil reliame and dro\c away a 
dei)en(lenee upon <'ireuiustances. 

He believed that in working we reign, and soon learned the 

lesson that by industry man lifts himself to a seat among the 

gi'eat of earth. The i)oet has well ilescnlMMJ him as he was 

seen by his constituents at home: 

Anil the soul, fnl ami fatteurtl ou the tliim};lits ami things around it, 

Growctb to perri'ction, full of fruit, the fruit of foreijiu seed. 

For we Icarn upon a hint, we find ujinn a elew. 

We yield a hundredfold; liiit the great sower is analogy. 

There must lie an acrid sloe liefore a liiseious ]icaeb, 

A liall of rotting llax liefure the liridal vi-il. 

An egg before an eagle, a thought liefore a thing. 

,\ s])ark striiik into tinder to light the laniji of knowledge. 

A slight suggestive word to guide the watebing mind, 

.\ balf-aceu baud upon the wall, pointing to the balance of comparison. 

These seeiueil to be his moving forces. We fin<l him toilitig 
with the hiind as well as the liead. He 1)elie\ed thai all laboi 
that triids to Mip|il\ man's wants, to iiieiease man's happiness, 
to elevate man's natiiie — in fact, that all labor, jihysical and 
mental, were alike honorable. To him rest was ruiu. He felt 
thai tlie structure of his body as \\ whole and every organ 
showed that he was designed for activity. 

r>ul a strong man has falh'ii. strong ]ihysicall,\ ami iiiii-l- 



Life and Channi,)- of l'icslo)i fl. t'liDiib. 171 

lectually. The void cicaliHl by his (leatli can not bf easily 
filled. To thosi' will! Iviicw him his very preseuce was a tower 
of sirenutli. Whatever hr undertook with liis j;reat intellei't 
marked him as the i)eer of the great men of his day. He was 
always to be fonnd in the front of a contest. lie faltered at 
no odds. Defeat never dismayed him. Believing in the justice 
i)f his cause, nothing could deter him. As lie eaiiie in contact 
with the best minds, the greatest intellects of liis day, we found 
him their e(jual, never shrinking from the contest. His record 
was that of a truly courageous man. He lived a life of fidelity 
to home and I'amilv and of sincere devotion to his countrv- 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Henderson, of Illinois. 

Mr. Henderson. Mr. iSi)eaker, 1 can not permit this memo- 
rial service to pass without ottering some tribute to the mem- 
ory of one whom I so much honored and respected as 1 did the 
late Senator from Kansas, Hon. Preston B. Plfmb. 

For the past fifteen years I have been associated with him 
in the public service in these legislative halls, he at the other 
end of the Capitol and I as a Representative in this body, and 
during all these years our acquaintance has been to me so 
pleasant that while others are speaking to-day of his high 
character and distinguished services as a citizen, soldier, and 
statesman, 1 could not forgive myself if I did not add my testi- 
mony, however feebh^ it may be, to bis long, able, and faithfiil 
service as a Senator and to his m.aiiy noble and manly (pialities 
as a man. 

It was indeed a gratification to know such a man as Senator 
Plumb, for he was kind and genial in his intercourse with his 
fellow men, and especially with liis friends, and always ex- 
tended to them such a warm and cordial greeting as to make 
them feel better for liis preseiu'c. 



172 Address of Mr. Ihiidcrsou., of Illinois., on Ihc 

I iiH't Senator Plimh for the last time but a tew days liefore 
Ills death, and apparently he was the same stroii^r, vijjormis 
man be had ever been since my first a<'([uaiiitanee with him. 
He was cheerful and seemed to be in <;ood spirits. ;iiid. so tar 
as I observed, in good health. And when I heard of his sud- 
den, unexpected decease — that this stroii;.;iiian, tliis -^neat Sen- 
ator had been stricken down in tlie midst of his usefnhiess and 
of liis lemarkable career, I was severely shocked and rould 
liardly realize that the sa<l announcement was true. 

But, alas! it was true, and his unexpected decease save to 
us. Ins associates in public life and friends who had known him 
.so well, allot he !■ sirikinj;' lesson of t lie ;;reat uncertainty of this 
life: a lesson whieh sliould remind us to do onr work well, and 
to be ready, for in such an hour as wc kuow not of wc, too, 
may be called hence, and then it will lie well for us if so j;;ood 
an account can be given of our life work as can truly be of this 
great Senator whose death we .so deeply lament. 

Senator Plumi! always, from my first ac(piaiiitancewith him, 
imiuessed me as being a man of great strength and vigor, 
both i)hysically and intellectually. lie seemed to possess all 
the elements of greatness. He was strong in his jihysieal as 
he was in his mental organization, and was a man of wonderlul 
industry and energ,\- of character. He was bold and fearless 
in the assertion and maintenance of his opinions, and what- 
ever cause he espoused foiiiid in him an earnest and iKiwertill 
advocate. 

(Observing his course in the public service, as I did, for I ad- 
mired his higii character. I can say with sincerity that 1 have 
seldom, if cNcr. known a man in |iiililic life w ho KkiuuIiI Iu I lie 
discharge of his duties greater ability and tidelity than did 
Senator I'LUMii. He was ever watchful and diligent in guard- 
ing the interests of the ](eoi)le of Kansas, and we may say of 
the whole country, to]- lie was a patriot in tlie broadest sense 



Lifi- and Chann-h-r of Preston B. Plunih. 17:5 

of tlie term and took n ilt'cp intoiest in the luilioiial welfare 
as well as that of his own State. 

For nearly tifteen yi'ars 1'i;i;st<)N 1'.. Pltmr represented 
the State of Kansas in the Senate ol' the United States, and 
diiriuji- all the time of his illustrious service he was a consi)ic- 
uous and distinguished member of that honorable body; and 
it can be truthfully said that no State had a more devoted, 
taithful public servant than the State of Kansas had in Sen- 
ator Plumb. 

Kansas honored herself in honorini; liini and in elevating 
him to the high otfice which he so aljly tilled: and in return 
for the honor conferred upon him he. by his euiinetit public 
service, shed luster upon the State of his adoption. 

But, Mr. Speaker, this remarkable man, this great Senator, 
who rendered sncli illustrious service to his State and country 
lioth in war and in peace, lias jiassed away, and we shall see 
liis familiar form and face in the Senate Chamber and in this 
Capitol no more forever! After giving to his State and to his 
country the very best service of his str(mg and nol)le manhood, 
he has been stricken down while robed in the honois of his 
hio-h ofdce. But he leaves behind him an honorable name and 
a record of which his State and the nation, his family and 
friends, may l)e justly proud. 

Let us who honor his memory to-day strive to imitate his 
noble virtues and to give to our country that full measure of 
devotion to duty which constituted the highest distiuctiou of 
this faithful Senator. 



174 Address of Mr. Post., of Illinois, on the 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Post, of Illinois. 

Mr. Post. Mr. Speaker, the (leciKle wliicli iircceilL'il tlie civil 
war was marked by a fervent discussion of liiuuan rijjlits and 
was a tittiiif^ i)rfliide to heroic action. Trities were forgotten; 
parties paused in their contests, disintegrated, and reorgan- 
ized; systems of revenue and other ecctnoniic questions were 
laid asi<le. and jjublic attention was absorbed by the one great 
issue. 

Our Uevohitionary ancestors had asserted with eloquence 
and logii! never surpassed a people's right to liberty and free 
government, and in 1775 repudiated their king, declared their 
independence, and submitted their appeal to anus, always the 
tinal court of arbitration. 

Among the institutions which royal rulers had thrust upon 
the Ameri('an colonies was that (tf African slavery. I^ngland 
boasted of her freedom, but encouraged the slave trade, and 
even extorted from .Spain in 1713 the sole right of selling Af- 
rican slaves to the Spanish- American colonies. When Eng- 
land's king was forced to rclini|uisli autliority on oiir soil, 
England's cur.se remained. 

The political con\nlsion which gave birth to the Territory 
of Kansas again aroused the latent fires which had been suj)- 
pressed by couqtromise, and when I'liESToN B. I'n'MU was 
18 years of age the country was aglow with the heat of a con- 
test destined never to grow less until England's curse had been 
utterly wiped out and the l\ei)ublic rei-stablishcd on the basis 
of universal freedom. 

Born in Ohio in 18.'57 and naturally loyal to Northern senti- 
ment, the influence which this revival of the spirit of our Revo- 
lutiotiary ancestors had ii|miii I'liKsrON B. Plumij can now 



Lijc and Cliarachi- of J'lisloii J). J'liiinb. 175 

liardly be realized. Times lijive eliaiij;c(l ; the seliools now 
claim the desultory attention of jirowu men tlinnijih a <'Ourse 
of study which may tit tliem to conipete for a life position as a 
(rovernmeiitelerk. Preston B. PLUMBat ISwasnotasehool- 
boy, but a man eagerly grappling with the business of life. 
At 12 years of age he had begun to learn the printers' trade, 
and at Itl lie had established the Xenia News, and coTiducted 
it witli vigor and success. 

He needed neither Latin dii)ionia nor eertiflcate ft'om aeom- 
mission. He had accjuired the trade whicli teaches accuracy 
and attention to details; he had succeeded in tliat profession 
in which hunibngs and pretenders (expose tlieniselves. 

At IS Preston B. Plumb was a printer and a journalist. 
He was familiar with the foundation i)rinciples of government 
as expounded l)y Hamilton, .lefferson, and by all the founders 
of republican lilierty on tiiis continent. He understood the 
constitutional limitations and tlie doctrine of State rights as 
enunciated by those giants in intellectual contro\'ersy, Daniel 
Webster and John C. Calhoun. H(* was eciuipjied by informa- 
tion anil Judgment to grapjile with jiublic ([nestions. and was 
conceded the rights and intluenee in council of a i)atriotic citi- 
zen several years before the statutt^ laws pernntted him to 
vote. 

The history of the settlement of Kansas is a lomance and a 
tragedy. Within the Territory was the geographical center of 
the United States, for Alaska had not yet been acquired. This 
arena was formally dedicated by act of Congress to be a battle 
tield in which to inaugurate tiic physical contest between the 
hosts of freedom and of slavery. 

The Missouri compromise had reserved Kansas for freedom, 
but on opening it for settlement Congress declared that reser- 
vation ''inoperative ami void," and defined its intent and 
meaning to be " not to legislate slavery into any State or Terri- 



17G Address of Mr. Post, of Illiuois, on Ihc 

tory or cxcliulf it tlierel'iniii, liiit to li-ave tlu' iieojili- thereof 
jierfectly Tree to rorm niiil rcjiulatc tlieir doiiiestii' institutions 
in tlifir own way." 

Till' Cdiistitiitiou hail iccoguized thf iieiiiliai- institution, 
not lor preservation, but for discourajjement. Its extension 
had been limited by law. but the Kansas- Nebraska bill arrested 
the onward niari'li of civili/.ation, took a ste)) l)aekward. and 
authorized shivery to be carried into a Territory where it had 
never been. To this William H. Seward responded: 

•• Come on. tlien. gentlemen of the slave States! Since there 
is no escajiin;; your challentje, I accept on i)elialf of fieedom. 
Wc will enjiajre in competition for the virgin soil of Kansas, 
and (lod uivc the victory to the side tliat is strou;^er in num 
bers as it is in rij;iit. 

The eager skirmishers hastened to the designated arena. 
The land was fair to look upon. Its wide .stretches of undula- 
ting itrairif were annually covered wilh llowers massed in 
jirofusion and bi-anliful in their variegated disoider. while the 
course of the streams ndjjht be traced by the fringe of timber 
which had escajied the autumn tires. Its .salubrious climate 
attracted nnmy who sought relief from northern rigor, and its 
varied agricultural resources were her;ilded far and wide. 

Among its resources, destined to be dissijiated uselessly and 
cruelly, were the immense herds of bulfaloes accustomed to 
make their annual noiiliciti pilgrimage acro.ss Kansas during 
tlic suinnier, returning laic in tin' autumn to the South. In 
ilie midst of the tenitory thrown o])en to white settlement 
were large traets liehl by various Indian tribes under solenni 
treaty obligations that their occupation shmilil he protected 
and never disturlpcil. Snincof tin' tnbeshail liccii louiul there 
in 1710, when Dutisne, the disco\erer <if Kansas, was courte- 
ously received in their villages and wigwams. 

NN'hen the Americans began tojioui into Kansas it did not 



/-///■ aiiti ('//iirac/cr <>/ J'ri's/on />'. I'liiiiib. 177 

n'(iuii(' the liil'l dl' in-opliccy fo liiiow tll;it the lM(li;iiis :i,s well 
:is the Imll'alocs must ilis;i|i|i(';ir. 'I'licv hail mi iiowspapcrs to 
liciald tlicii' wroiiys, and any atti'iii|il to prolccl llicir (i\v:i 
ri^lits would privlaini I Ireni oncniit's to the wliitc man — hostile, 
< riicl savages. When a thiuisaud squatters seized upon laud 
solemnly j;uaiaiiteed as Indian land, the ehiet's entered a dii; 
nilied |irotesl,the Attorney ( leneral decided in lavor of the 
Indians. Init neitlui- the President nor the Army were power- 
ful enouyii to redeem the ])lij;iited faith of the United States. 
With hereditary stoicism and pathetic calmness the r(^d man 
saw the liiilfaloes killed, liis land overrun l)y trespassers, his 
rights destroyed. 

The national breach of faith with the Indian.s was little 
thoiiiiht of 1)y the restless and enerjietic i)ioneei-s who carried 
ci\ili7,ation beyond the Missouri Ri\-er. They came tti stay; 
they came t-o nuike homes, to bnihl up a new State; they came 
from the South, to avail themselves of the privilege secured 
to them by tin' re]>eal of tlie ^lissouri comiiromise, and from 
the ^'^orth to proclaim freedom on the rostrum and to secure it 
at the ballot box. The contest did not sto]) there. Foi twelve 
years, until the very end of the civil war. Kansas was "Bleed- 
ing Kansas." the theater of turmoil and bloody strife, of private 
and public war. 

C'onspicuous among the young men from tiie North who took 
l)art in the settlement of Kansas was I'reston B. Plttmb. 
He arrived at To]ieka in October, ISSO, and spent the winter 
at Lawrence. In March, lsr)7,his name stands first among the 
little baiul who essayed to build a city on the banks of the 
Ncoslio. He established the Emporia News, and its tirst 
numlier was issued June 0, 1X57. He had not yet been eight 
months in the Territory and was not yet 20 years old. 

H was at this ]ierio(l that 1 tirst became acquainted with 
Preston B. Plumb, a tall, earnest, energetic young man, full 
of enterprising ])lans lor Em]>oria and for Kansas. 

S. Mis. L'l'.s 12 



178 .Idc/nss of Mr. /'os/, of Illinois, on Ihe 

Kansas was then a broa*! cxiiaiise of waving grass, dotted 
hen- and tluie witli an embryo villajre. No railroad aj)- 
l)r()a<-lied its hordt'rs; the Missouri Kiver fiunislied the only 
facilities for freight trausportaticm wiili the States, while ox 
teams were employed for the interior. 

Emjioria was a straggling frontiei' settlement; iK)rtli and 
south of it for a thousand miles Indians and bufl'alocs occupied 
the (iiiiMlry, while to tiie west, nearly >>n(l miles distant, was 
the ancient Spanish civilization at Santa Fe. 

Nevertheless, at E^mjjoria the dear eye of youth and hope 
saw a future city, and thirty four years thereafter, toward the 
tlourishingcity of Empoiia. with its radiating railroads and all 
the accompaniments of prosperity, toward that city which he 
had founded, nourished, and loved, we bore the lifeless body 
ot' Senator I'H'iiH, while united in sympathy and lamentation 
were fifteen hundred thousand people, citizens of Kansas. 

All (isira jx'r aspera — to the stars through difliculties — tells 
the story of his life. It is the motto of his State. It should be 
inscribed ui)on his tomb. 

The early life of Senator I'i,i':\ii!, his precocious connection 
with ptdjlic affairs, the intensity of popular feeling then exist- 
ing with reference to those affairs, the years of frontier danger, 
of inces.sant vigUance, of undaunted ett'ort, were the discipline 
whicdi made him a broad-minded, well-balanced, aggressive 
leader ot' men. lie sought the appi obat ion of his own mind 
and <'onscience and commanded the respect even of those who 
tlid not agree with him. 

To bring into clear relief his early training I have reviewed 
but four years of his active life, years while he was yet a minor. 
Others have sketched his biograjihy after attaining his ma- 
jority, how lie stinlied law, was admitted to the bar, served in 
the State legislature, entered the I'liited States military serv- 
ice as second lieutenant, was promoted to cajitain. niajin. and 



Lift- and CJiai-(iit(r of Preston I', riiiiiili. 1711 

liciitfiKiiitcoldiirl. ;i,i;aiii scrvcil in (lie SImIc lci;isl;ilun', :iii(l 
at the ni;c ol' tO was clcclcil a Sciiatoi' of the I'liitcd States. 
From that time to his death liis a<'ts were o\wav to tlie iiispee- 
tioii ol' the nation and are indeiihiy endthizoned on th(^ history 
of onr eonnti'v. 

Senaloi- I'lJ'AlH lielped to create tlie State of Kansas. Me 
gave /.eahins effort to her de\ehi|iMient ; in time of war as a 
soldier lie contributed to her martial .uhiry, and in time of 
l)caee as a statesman ln' supported and protected her interests 
and those of the whole nation. lie was the untiring servant 
of the State he represented. 

Senator PLtTivn? was a partisan in its best sense, not a hanger- 
on and blind Ibllower of a ])arty, but one who dared advocate 
prineijiles without hesitation or (Mpii\((cation, trustiuy that his 
party would sometime be convinced and adopt tiiem. He has 
been criticised because he always gave his jiarty an earnest 
and unwavering supjiort in the foium of the iieo]>le, even 
though he had failed to secure the support of that jjartyto the 
measures he advocated. 

The enterprising solditu- who discovers in his defensive line 
a weak positi(jn and suggests that it be strengthened, or who 
sees an opponent's mistake and vainly urges an assault, does 
not desert to the enemy because his comrades are shortsighted. 
So in political strife time will demonstrate who is right; the 
main body may progress slowly; a leader may be in advance, 
but he is never tliei'e in the character of a traitor. A ])artisan 
may sincerely believe in a prinrijile and yet l)e loyal to a party 
which has not yet adopted it. 

The real party leaders are not those who wait for the plat- 
form in order to know their own opinions. These may be suc- 
cessful politicians, " safe men to follow,'" for they travel a road 
already marked out and fenced in. Some one must advance, 
discover pitfalls, clear away ol)stacles, and blaze the unknown 
wav. 



ISO Adiirtss of Mr. Yon mans, of Michigan, on /lie 

III ;i iiri><;fri'ssivc jmrly some must liolilly si;iti' tlicii i-dinii- 
li(»iis anil submit lor iio]>uIiir judj,'iiit'iil tlic incasuii's in wliii-li 
they believe. 

Senator I'l.i'^lli was tiiic to liis com i(iioii> and lalioretl with 
tireh'ss energy lor his ]>i'oi)ie and bis c<miitiy. Those who 
aceoiii|)aiiie(l Hiel'itiieial liain witnessed scenes ihe> will ueM-r 
t'oiuii. The iieople (•rowdeii the railway stations ah)nj; the 
route, they thronged to the eapital, where for a time his body 
lay in state, and colleeted at Emporia with every manilesta- 
tion of regard. 

The leli.uious services at th<' residence of the stricken family 
and at the ehundi. and the lieautiful ceremonial at the ceme- 
lery, conducted by his comrades of the (hand Army of the 
Uepublie. were made doubly impressive by the symiiathetic 
sorrow of the multitude. 

A people bowed down with jirief at a great and sudden 
calamity, a State in mourning for a loved Senator, was a tribute 
which recalled these pathetic words of Motley, referring to the 
death of William of < >iange: "As long as lie lived he was the 
guiding star of a whole brave nation, and when hi' died little 
children cried in the streets." 



ADDRESS OF MR. YOUMANS, OF MICHIGAN. 

.Mr. YofMANS. .Mr. Speaker, it is only of the public life and 
character of Senator I'LfJiit I can speak. 1 had not the honor 
of his acquaintance. The Fifty second ("ongre.ss had hardly 
convened before the shadow of ileath darkened these halls. If 
was iii\- iirivilege, however, as a member of Ilic select roiii- 
niitteeof the House, to t'ollow his remains tothcii- linal resting 
place. 

It is not my object, Mr. Speaker, to speak any jianegyric on 
his life; his life is his panegyric— is on a sure foundation and 



Life and Character of Prrs/aii I>. flniiih. ]S1 

is a [lai't of rUi' liisloiy ol' t lie lu'ijiiblii-. Always a s( iii'(l> dc 
fi'iidiT (if cdiisl if iiti<inal rinlils; an iKiiKiralilc tluiii.^li mil a 
liliiiil [laii isaii : at times assuniini;' iii<l<'i)ciiilt'iif political an idii, 
tlicii ilt'tiMidiiiu' siK'li actiiin with \ij;'(ir anil ajinost match- 
less eloinn'ni'e. 

i'anlts, ihmbtless, he had; mistakes lie mifi'lit lia\e made; 
Imt always relyini;' on his lio?iesty, lirmness, a^ul cantioiis 
juduinent, always jiresei'vinj;' his sineerit\ of inirpose and in- 
teuiitv of charaeter. I lis resolnl e deieiininal Ion i;a\ c him t haf 
force we (h'liominate character, lake all who have ohtamed 
liromineiit stations and assumed (lie responsihilities oi' pnlilic 
life, it was his lot at times, however jnire his pnipose, however 
piod the canse he followed, to lie misnndersto<id and his motives 
ijiiestioned. The storm nuiiiif rai;e and the night he dark, yet 
he followed the straiyhf path unerringly : his sure indgment 
and persuasive oratory tiinied aside the obstacles liesetting" 
his (lath. Others have outlined the incidents of his career, 
but jierhaps it is worth our while to dwell for a moment <iii (he 
lesson it teaches. Vei-y much of the best iiortions of our 
country's history is the record of tin' achievements of lui'n who, 
in their youth, without tin' adxantag'e of fortune, have written 
their names high on the obelisk <if fame. 

The list, though long, is familiar to every schoolboy; so, too, 
are their persuasiviMdoquence and mighty achievements. These. 
[lagcs <if history speak silver toned cnc<iurag'emeiit to young 
men. saying to them, -'Onward, my young and strong brothers, 
to the great battle field of life. Let not disappointment and 
ti'ials damp your ardor; let no teui|)tations divert you from 
truth and right. On every side great hearts will be in sympa- 
thy, and strong hands linked in with yours, and the god of 
battles will not suffer you to fail." 

"Six. Speaker, another voice — 

Is silent ill tfii' louiicil IkiII 
1"<iic\ ("r. 



1K2 Address of Mr. Cariilh, of Kentucky, ou the 

Aiiotlicr •• liitli' ylcaiii of time between twn i-teiiiitics" lias 
been <\tin{,Miislic(l. Ibiw Imiji will it be fic we — 

.shall leave imr 
Mirdi auil our iiii]il()yiiients. ami shall loiue 
Ami maki- our liid witli him? 

And when time shall be no more for ns, may we depart "like 
onecontiiiuintr a journey from an inn. not as one leavinir home." 

The fre(|ueney of these sad sessions brin-rs the admonitions 
of nioirality home to us. and when we ••shall take oui- cham- 
bers — 

111 the silent halls of death," 

may it be said of us, "lie has fought the good fight, he has 
kei>t the faith." 



Address of Mr. Caruth, of Kentucky. 

Mr. rAK'i^Til. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ,s))eak the last words 
whith will be said in this legislative Hall in eommemoration 
of the life and imblie .services of this distinguished Senator, 
whose memory wc this day lamenr: and 1 sjieaji with profound 
.sorrow of the loss our country has sustained. 

It was not my ])uri)ose .Air. Speaker, to lift my voice on this 
occasion, although there were ties of friendshij) which bound 
the distinguished dead and my.self together. Wc lived at the 
samehomein Washington; weate our meals at the same table; 
our wives were friends and associates, and 1 grew to love and 
to lionor the distinguished 1'kkston H. Pi.f:MH. 

I believe tlial his career has done as much as that of any 
man in .Vmcri<'a to show the great sticngth of our institutions 
and the po.ssibility for the humblest to gi'ow to greatness. It 
has been said of us with jiridc. in this broad land of ours, 

'•cNcry man is b\- hirlli a prince oltlic lilood and a ] r of llic 

ri-alm:" and from liir iiiimblc beginning of a printer's boy. 



Life and Charadcr of Preston B. riumh. |,s;5 

sti'p l.y step, in the lanks of joiiiiialisiii. in 1 1„. i;iiii;s of ii„. 
AiMiy. and in tlw l.-islative liall. I'liHSTON B. Plumi! woikr.l 
Ins way until lie stood second in onicc to the President of tin- 
I'nited States. So loved, so dislin-nislied, and so honored 
was he fliattlieoreatpeoi,leoniM.Sta(..of Kansas, hyaunan- 
iuions voice, for the third time elected him T'nitcd States Sen 
ator. In that office, how well and liow faitlifnlly he diseharj;ed 
his duties the records of his life's story will tell. Bold, free, 
and inde])endent in liis position and ojiinion. never didhe— 

Crook the i)r('gii:int binges of the km-i- 
Where thrift may follow fawniii;;. 

None loved truth more than he. Wherever error lifted its 
h.'ad. from whatever side, the stalwart arm of Preston B. 
J'LUMB was first to strike it down. A lover of his ••ountrys 
institutions, he was always faithful. For the sanctity of the 
Constitution of the Republic, his voice would ever be lifted 
against any effort to ignore the provisions of that sacred in- 
strument or to abridgetherightsof the American people; and 
when he died there died u patriot. 

He was a man wIk. could rise above party whenever occasion 
lequire.l: a man who c.mld be true to party when bis j.arty 
was true to itself. 

Mr. Speaker, if you will go with me to yonder library and 
examine the record of the CotigTosses in which he held mem- 
bership you will find that there was no more zealous, no more 
indefatigable, no more laborious member of the Federal Con- 
gressthan Preston B. Plumb. Well maythepeopleof Kansas 
regret his loss. I have sometimes thought that there were two 
men who stood side by side in the Senate of the Unite.l 
States: one was the Senator from my own State, Mr. Beek, 
stricken down by the sudden and relentless hand of death, the 
other was Preston B. Plumb, twin workers in the cause of 
their country, with a zeal that was untiring and an industry 
that never flagged. 



181 Address of Ml . Canil/i, of K'ciilucky. 

When I first cniiic ti> Wasliin.uton and lalkt-d wiili the (lis- 
tiiigriiislifd Senator tioin Ki-ntucky about liis colleagues upon 
that floor 111' toltl uif tliat one ol" the j^reatest-biainod nicu in 
that Chanilier. one of the -jreatest statesmen in Anieriea, was 
I*i;i:sT()N li. PLfJiB; and fioui tliat reniaik of his tt) me I was 
hd to \vat<li the career of Senator rLiMii, and learned to ad 
niirt' ills zeal, his ability, and liis intej;rity. as I did his pati'iotie 
IdVeof our country and its institutions. 

I can not add any word to what has lieen said here today 
to Ills iiicniory: hut deeply euyraveii in tlie liearts ot' the .\nier 
ican peojile will ever renuiin the memory of the claim to fame, 
of tiu^ service of Kansas's jjreat dead, killed by relentless 
death in the hour and in the very heij;ht an<l strength of his 
noble manhood. 

Ml. l'l"NSTON. .Mr. Speakei, I move the adojition ol the res- 
olutions. 

The Si'EAKEi; yoo tciiqioie {Mr. Paynter in the chair). The 
question is on the adoption of the resolutions. 

The re.soliitions were uiuuiiniously agreeil to. 

Accordingly (at 3 o'clock and - minutes) the House adjoiuned. 



